The 11th State
by Kishiro Kitsune
Summary: While sleeping over at America's house, England has his first encounter with one of the States. He then gets to go through the process of being introduced to the rest of America's children. All fifty of them.
1. The 11th State

**The 11****th**** State**

_The 11__th__ State_

"Huh, that's weird. Daddy's not here? Lame~! Hey, you!"

England felt a sharp poke on his shoulder to accompany the annoying voice. With a grumble, he pulled the covers over his head, his brain too caught up in a sleepy haze to really pay attention to what the person was saying.

"Dude, I'm talking to you. Hey! Wake up!"

As the blankets were ripped away and his body exposed to the cool air of the room, England's eyes shot open to glare at the other person. "Ameri-"

Dark blue eyes stared back at him, unabashed, one partially covered by light blonde bangs swept stylishly to one side. Wavy hair fell to her shoulders, cut short for manageability purposes.

England shrieked and scrambled backwards, falling over the side of the bed in his surprise. "Who the bloody hell are you? Where's America?"

"I should be asking _you _that," retorted the girl. "Who are you and why are you in my daddy's house?" Her eyes narrowed as she got a better look at him and then they widened in awe. "Oh my god! You're _England!_ I can't believe it! Daddy finally got over his nerves and asked you out? Wonderful!"

England stared at her for a moment, wondering what horrible world he'd magicked himself away into. After all, he'd never heard anything about America having kids. Surely the younger nation would have told them about it. But the girl did look a lot like him.

She beamed at him and then suddenly held out her hand. "The name's New York! I'm daddy's eleventh State, though I would've happily been his first if it weren't for politics. So not fair… Delaware brings it up every single time we get together. She's a bitch like that." Despite her words, there was no animosity in her voice. "Oh my god! Ginny's going to be _so _jealous that I got to meet you first! I should call her!"

"…what?" England asked. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so confused.

New York giggled and sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes shining with mirth. "I can't believe _I'm _the first one to meet you. This is too perfect. I say this proves I was meant to be the first! I mean, Florida was the first to meet Spain and Louisiana was the first to meet France. Oh, and Alaska actually lived with Russia for a while, so of course she was the first of us to meet him! And then there's Texas and-"

England held up a hand, calling an end to her rambling. "You can't possibly think I believe you when you say you're the state of New York. I've never heard mention of you or any of the others before now. What kind of joke is America trying to pull?"

"It's not a joke," New York said. "We really are the States. I can't believe he hasn't mentioned us!" She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"This can't be happening…" England mumbled, closing his eyes. "I'm not sitting in America's bedroom talking to one of his states. This is a joke. Or a dream. A nightmare, really. This is ridiculous! I would have heard about you before now if you were real!"

"Guess you haven't met Uncle Mattie's kids either…"

Green eyes snapped back open. _"What?"_

New York hummed. "I should probably let daddy explain all of this…" She hesitated a moment, scratching the back of her neck as she watched England try to calm down. "You look confused. I guess I can explain a little. Where should I start?"

"Why haven't I heard of you?" England asked, cautiously getting back on the bed and pulling the blankets around him.

New York shrugged. "I dunno. I'm sure you've seen a couple of us. We take turns working as daddy's assistant sometimes. I know Kentucky, Florida, and Alaska have attended world meetings once or twice. Alaska likes going so she can see Russia and Florida goes so she can talk to Spain. Me and some of the other northern States tag along with daddy meets with Uncle Canada. I know Tex and Cali go do damage control and keep daddy from fighting with Mexico." She glanced around the room, smiling at the photograph of America and Canada that was sitting on the desk. Her gaze slid down to one of the drawers, which was sticking out slightly.

England watched as she stood up and walked over to the desk. She pulled open the drawer and hefted out a large, leather-bound binder and carried it back to the bed. She sat down as she opened it up, smiling at the very first page.

"Daddy has us take new pictures every ten years or so and puts together new photo albums. This is the most recent one. The first few pages are individual pictures and they go in order from when we first became States." New York happily tapped her picture and then turned the binder around so England could look.

At the top corner was a picture of a blue-eyed girl with her straight blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail. The label under her read _"Anna 'Delaware' Jones - December 7, 1787." _He spotted New York on the third line with her own label. _"Allison 'New York' Jones - July 26, 1788."_

His eyes were then drawn to the girl before New York; the last photo on the second row. Like most of the others, her hair was blonde, though it seemed lighter than theirs and fell messily to her shoulders. Most notable were her bright green eyes, which he couldn't help but think were a lot like his own. _"Elizabeth 'Virginia' Jones,"_ he read. _"June 25, 1788."_

"That's Ginny," New York said.

England hummed and flipped the page over. At the top of the next page was one of America's few dark-haired children, a girl with wavy brown hair and green-blue eyes. _"Sonya 'Kentucky' Jones - June 1, 1792."_ At the bottom was a boy who looked disturbingly like France, only with shorter, darker blond hair and eyes a shade of ocean blue. _"Jean 'Iowa' Jones - December 28, 1846."_

"That's Tex," said New York, pointing to a teenage boy with straight, dark brown hair and very tanned skin. He wore a pair of glasses similar to America's and had light brown eyes. "And Louisiana. Isn't she cute?"

Louisiana looked even more like France. Her long, wavy blonde hair was adorned with ribbons and her eyes were a crystalline blue. Dark circles under her eyes hinted at hard times for the state.

"She's in a wheelchair right now," New York said. "She got hit really hard by a hurricane a few years ago and is having a hard time recovering." She worried her lower lip as she dragged her finger down the page to a pretty Spanish-looking girl. "Florida. She looks a lot like Spain, huh?"

England could only nod in agreement and move on to the next page. A light-haired Wisconsin took his place at the top of the page while dark-haired Wyoming was at the end.

"California," New York said, pointing to the second teenager on the page. He seemed to be a happy State with curly brown hair and intelligent hazel eyes.

"Colorado," she said with a giggle. "We're kind of surprised there aren't two Colorado's. Half of him was French territory and the other half was Mexican." She pointed to a State at the end of the second row with wavy, light brown hair. One of his eyes was light blue and the other was a shade of hazel green.

England turned the page to see the remaining seven of America's children. A small girl with silvery-blonde hair and lavender eyes caught his attention first. _"Mariya 'Alaska' Jones - January 3, 1959,"_ he read aloud. "So she's Russia's."

New York nodded. "She looks like a sweetheart, doesn't she? She can be, but don't challenge her to drink. She can out-drink each and every one of us and then go on to challenge Tex, Hawaii, and some of Uncle's provinces to outrageous dares and win each of them. She's crazy. Now _this _one," she said, tapping the image of a darkly tanned girl with hazel green eyes and wavy, caramel brown hair. A chain of flowers adorned her head. "_Leilani 'Hawaii' Jones - August 21, 1959. _You gotta watch out for that one too. She doesn't lose her temper too easily, but when she does you really don't want to be around to see it. I think it's because of all of those volcanoes she has."

England frowned when he spotted a photo of someone he didn't expect. "Why is Philippines on here?"

New York rolled her eyes. "'cuz daddy's an idiot. But we do consider Phil part of the family. He's cool to hang with. Guam and Puerto Rico skipped photo day and daddy hasn't caught them at a good time yet, otherwise they'd also be in here. Oh, D.C. is on here too. Back on the first page between Rhode Island and Vermont."

England flipped back to the first page and sure enough there was a small person between the two states who looked very much like a younger America, with darker blue eyes. He couldn't tell whether the capital was male or female, but he supposed it didn't really matter.

"Daddy probably has pictures of Uncle's kids in there too," New York said. "From family get-together's and what-not. I wish I knew where he put the old albums. I'd _love _to show you baby pictures of the younger states." She sighed and turned the binder around so she could flip through it. "I guess I'll leave that up to daddy. Oh, here's from one of our New Years parties! France, Uncle Canada, and the provinces joined us for that!" She turned it back around so England could see.

England peered at the book closely, having a hard time figuring out where to look first. The photo's seemed to be slapped on in random order, some of them crooked or cut into shapes. It seemed America treated it more like a scrapbook than a photo album. "Bloody hell, did he learn nothing from me?"

New York giggled. She quickly took pity on him and began pointing out different pictures, explaining who was in it and what was going on. "There's France and Louisiana. He couldn't bear to see her in that wheelchair so he spent most of the night carrying her around on his back. You know, France was the one who named her Suzanne. He insisted."

She pointed to photo of a dark-haired young man holding a young girl with hair the same shade. "That's Northwest and Nunavut. They're two of Uncle Canada's territories. The first time Nunavut saw fireworks she was so scared, but now she loves watching them and encourages Tex and New Mexico to light them up. Not that they need it."

England jabbed his finger at a large picture towards the bottom of the page. "What's going on here?"

It was of six girls, all of whom had blonde hair and light colored eyes. They were standing in a circle around a table with several decks of playing cards. One of the short-haired girls with wavy hair was gesturing wildly, while the girl to her left with her hair in a side ponytail was ducking to avoid being smacked. One of the straight-haired girls was wiping away tears of laughter while leaning on a girl with longer wavy hair. The last two - one with straight hair and the other with a ponytail on the opposite side of the other - were reaching to clean up whatever liquid had been spilled on the table.

"Hmm?" New York took one look at the photo and started laughing. "Oh! That was the stupidest thing ever, really. I can't remember whose idea it was. See, we've got a couple pairs of identical twins. There's the Dakota's and the Carolina's and then Newfoundland and Labrador. I think they were having a contest to find the most twinliest twins."

England flinched at her abuse of their shared language.

"Kind of weird how they're all girls. Anyway," New York cleared her throat and turned the page. "Heeey, I'd forgotten they were there! God, that was an awesome New Years." She pointed to a photo of Australia with his arms around New Zealand while Canada and America stood on either side of them. "Hang on, I think Hong Kong was there too…"

She tugged the album back to her and scoured the pictures for any sign of her Asian uncle. Her eyes lit up when she found one of him talking to Pennsylvania, Vermont, and one of Canada's provinces (Ontario). She tapped it excitedly a few times.

"That was the year Uncle Aussie brought his koala and it, Kuma-whatever, and Hong's panda got into daddy's secret stash of alcohol. That was _also_ the year Mexico showed up in the middle of the party with a ton of fireworks for Texas and New Mexico and got into a fight with daddy over something-or-other and it took Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and cousin Yukon to break them up."

"Why wasn't I invited?" England asked.

"You were," replied New York. "Daddy said something along the lines of you being a crabby old man who'd rather sit at home and crochet instead of going out and having fun."

England scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "That wanker. Lets see if I invite him over anymore."

"Aww, don't be like that," New York said. "You of all people should know he says stuff like that to cover up how hurt he feels. He loves you."

A hue of pink quickly covered England's cheeks as he ducked his head. "H-he does not!"

New York giggled and then looked back down at the album, happily flipping through the pages to find something interesting to show off. So intent on her search, she didn't hear the footsteps or the voice approaching the room.

"…haven't seen her, Anna. Did you check with Lizzy? Or how about D.C.? My little capital can always tell where you guys…are. Found her. Yeah, in my room. Later, Anna."

New York looked up and locked eyes with her daddy. Her lips curved up into a guilty smile as she carefully closed the photo album and got off the bed. "Hi, daddy! I was just leaving!"

America snapped his phone shut and slid it into his back pocket. "Really?"

"Yup!"

"So you weren't hiding from Delaware and Massachusetts again?" America asked, sounding amused.

"Of course not. Why would I want to do a thing like that?" New York responded cheerfully. "I was just looking for you and got a little sidetracked is all. Anna can cool her jets." She paused a moment. "You think Ham would let me chill at his place for a while?"

"I thought you weren't hiding from them."

"I'm not. I'm _avoiding_ them. There's a difference."

America sighed and stepped out of the way of the door. "Go ahead."

New York beamed and skipped forward. She happily planted a kiss on his cheeks. "Thanks, daddy! Bye, England! You should come to a family get-together one of these days!"

England could only manage a short wave before the State was gone.

America awkwardly cleared his throat. "So, uh, I guess you met Allison. She's really something, huh?"

"She is," England agreed. "Tell me, why have you never mentioned her or any of the others? And why is it that France and _Russia_ know about them and yet I do not?"

"Oh…that. Yeah." America stood there for a moment, shifting his weight between feet. After a few long seconds he walked over and took New York's previous spot. "Well, they kind of figured it out on their own. Actually, Alaska was Russia's daughter first. It was a way big deal when she came to live with me. And Spain knew Florida way before I did. France sort of figured out Louisiana, Missouri, and the others without me saying anything."

His fingers trailed over the cover of the photo album. "I did hide them from you at first. I found the first thirteen a couple years before…" Blue eyes flickered up to gauge England's reaction. "My revolution."

England met his eyes, his own clouded with sadness at the mention of that period of history.

"But after that, I wasn't trying to hide them. You just stopped paying attention. I mean, the only time I really got your attention was with that whole mess with Canada. Unintentionally, of course. God, I was a dick back then," America said with a grin. It quickly faded. He was quiet for a minute or so as he flipped open the photo album. "It's not like I haven't tried to tell you about them. I've just never been too sure how. Y'know, if you'd come over during the holidays then you would've met them a long time ago."

"America, you are _not _blaming me for this," England said.

"Of course not," America said. "I should've just stood up in the middle of a meeting and announced to everyone that I have fifty-plus kids."

"Git. That's not what I meant."

"Maybe if you'd pay more attention. Last meeting Texas _and _Alaska tagged along as my assistants. Didn't you find that even the least bit weird?"

England frowned, thinking back to the last meeting. "I hadn't noticed, honestly. Was that the one where France stripped down naked, tried to strip me and failed, then danced on the table before Switzerland chased him around with a gun? Or was that the meeting where that one country-what's his name? The one who looks like you."

"Canada," America filled in, sounding vaguely amused.

"Right, Canada. Was it the meeting where he snapped at South Korea for poking him over the course of two hours?"

America shook his head. "Nah, the last meeting was the one where Russia didn't stir up shit for once because he was too busy cuddling Alaska while Greece fell asleep against Japan, who was sort of freaking out in that weird passive way of his, and then you started arguing with France over something. I guess that's why you didn't notice."

He turned his eyes back to the album, flipping past the pictures of the New Years party and heading into the section of January birthdays and then February. He chuckled at a picture of Arizona smashing her piece of cake into Oregon's face while Massachusetts stood back and laughed while holding his cake out of the way.

"You should come by next month for the June birthdays," America said. "We celebrate them all on one weekend. It makes it easier than getting together several times a month." He looked up at England hopefully. "Do you want to?"

England glanced at the photo book and then back to America. "I would like that."

-.-.-.-

End chapter

-.-.-.-

Well, after all the work I've done creating human names for the states and looking up Canada's provinces and territories, I figured I ought to write more than one chapter. I want to write about England meeting the rest of the states, maybe the American Civil War, and a little about Canada and his "kids".

By the way, if any of New York's speech seems not very Northern, it's because I live in the south.

The looks of the states are based largely on who owned the territories of land first.

Yes, I will be using stereotypes.

Also, I'm aware I missed a few U.S. Territories. Guam and Puerto Rico weren't the only ones to skip out on America's photo day. (Dunno why Philippines would've gone along with it. Just for fun, maybe?)

**Introduced in this chapter:**

**New York** - Allison Jones - dark blue eyes - wavy blonde hair cut above her shoulders

America named her after himself. She's an enthusiastic girl who spends her time alternating between bickering with Delaware and avoiding her completely. She considers New Hampshire and Virginia to be her best friends and uses their houses as a hide-out. Though happy most of the time, her personality does a 180 when she gets behind the wheel of a car. For that reason, the other states don't let her drive often. Bears scars from 9/11. (And would really rather not talk about that day or her scars.)

Joke State Motto (from funny2(dot)com): You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney

Actual State Motto: _Excelsior _(Ever upward)


	2. June Birthdays

**The 11th State**

_2. June_

England was beginning to regret ever agreeing to attend the June birthday bash. Why was he such a sucker for big blue eyes?

He watched as America was mobbed by several teens. They swarmed around him, latching onto his clothing and arms, each of them trying to get his attention. America seemed unbothered by it all and was even laughing as he bestowed attention on each of his children. Unfortunately, that left England to fend for himself.

"Daddy will be busy for a while."

England jumped in surprise but relaxed once he saw New York standing next to him. "He's not going to greet all of you, is he?"

New York nodded. "He will. He can't pass by any one of us. That'd be favoritism!" She smiled brightly as Alaska joined the growing crowd. "Hey, I'll introduce you to the birthday States. C'mon, it'll be fun!" Without waiting for an answer, she snatched his hand and began to drag him away.

"N-New York! Is this really necessary?" England asked. "I'd rather wait for America."

"That will take too long," New York said. "Ah, there they are!"

England found himself led over to a group of three who were holding bottles of beer and laughing loudly. One of them was a girl with brown hair tied in pigtails, wearing a black cowboy hat, a denim skirt, a fringed brown vest over a white t-shirt, and cowboy boots. The other two were boys. The taller of the two had highlighted, spiky blond hair and was wearing a Nashville t-shirt and jeans. The shorter one wore his dark blond hair long enough that the waviness of it was noticeable and was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and torn jeans.

"Howdy, New York!" Called the girl, waving with her free hand. "Who's your pal?"

New York pulled England to a stop in front of them. "Guys, this is England. He and daddy are dating. England, this is Kentucky," she pointed to the girl. "Tennessee," she pointed to the taller boy. "And Arkansas," she pointed to the shorter teen.

Kentucky's eyes lit up. "At last! So you're the elusive England!"

"Nice to meet ya," Tennessee said.

Arkansas nodded and took a swig of beer. "Hey."

"Happy birthday," England offered awkwardly.

Kentucky laughed happily. "Thanks! Me and Ten already celebrated our birthday, but it's fun to party with everyone else too. Hey, New York, is Alabama over there with dad? I don't want to go over there if he's over there. He keeps hitting on me."

New York shrugged. "No clue. You'll just have to chance it. C'mon, England. I gotta introduce you to the others before Uncle France brings out the cake. There's no way I'm missing the chance to shove a piece in Hammy's face this year. You guys seen Westie?"

"Over at the table with Ohio, Penny, and Michigan," Tennessee said. He craned his neck, eying one of the other states with a frown. "I'll be right back. I owe Mississippi a good punch for that shit he pulled the other week."

He rushed off quickly, heading for a teen with brown hair.

Kentucky sighed. "We'd better go make sure they don't start a brawl. C'mon, Ark."

"Moving on," New York said cheerfully. "You get to meet West Virginia next. Well, and a couple others. But West Virginia is the birthday girl of this next group."

England looked ahead to the table, wondering which group of teens he would be meeting. He soon found out as they drew close to two boys and two girls.

The tallest girl wore her blonde hair in a tidy bun and looked as though she'd just come from a meeting in her smart looking charcoal jacket and black pencil skirt. The other had lighter colored blonde hair, which she wore in twin braids. She wore a green and pink floral print sundress.

The boys were around the same height. One of them had curly dark brown hair and wore denim shorts and a button-down shirt. The other had straight, windswept brown hair and was wearing grey slacks and a white button-down shirt with a blue tie.

"Here we have Pennsylvania," New York gestured to the girl in the suit. "Ohio and Michigan," she pointed to the boy with windswept hair first, then the one with curly darker hair. "And finally West Virginia!" She maneuvered around the table to give the shorter girl a hug. "Happy birthday, Sarah!"

West Virginia giggled and hugged the older State back. "Thanks, Allison." She pulled away and smiled at England. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

"No time for chatting right now," New York said, returning to England's side. She scoured the crowd for the other States celebrating birthdays. "Lets see…. Well, there's cousin Yukon. He's celebrating his birthday this month. I'll let Uncle Mattie introduce you. That just leaves… Ah!"

England found himself being dragged through the crowd. He locked eyes with America at one point, but the younger nation just smiled apologetically before going back to his conversation with the States around him.

"England, meet New Hampshire!" New York said happily, releasing his arm to attach herself to a disgruntled boy who wore his wavy red hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Hammy, this is our new daddy!"

England choked on air.

New Hampshire sighed and pried her fingers from around his arm so he could reach out for a handshake. "Hello, England. It's nice to meet you at last. Dad talks about you all the time."

England shook his hand, feeling rather surprised by the State's good manners. Of course, by that point he was feeling so overwhelmed that he wasn't sure what to think of everyone he was meeting. America's States were just like the nation; unpredictable and constantly active, moving so fast that he could hardly keep up.

"Don't mind New York too much," New Hampshire said with a charming smile. "She likes saying things just to get a reaction." He turned to his sister and gently took her by the shoulder. "Ontario wants to talk to you about something. Quebec too."

"Goody," mumbled New York sarcastically. "I just _love_ talking to Quebec. He'd better not start going off in French again! I can barely understand what he says when he speaks English."

"That's because you don't try."

"I do too!"

England watched the pair of siblings walk away, unsure of what to do. His one guide had left him standing all alone in the middle of an American-cookout style birthday party with over fifty people he didn't know milling about.

"_Hola_! Ya look lost, _amigo."_

For a moment, England thought it was Spain who was speaking to him. After all, it wasn't uncommon for the Spaniard to address him in such a manner, especially when France was also around. However, when he turned to look he found himself staring up at a Spanish-looking teenager who wore glasses similar to America's.

"Hello," England greeted.

"The name's Texas! Y'can call me Tex if you want. Most people do," he said. "Never seen ya around before."

"I'm England."

Texas's brown eyes lit up in delight. "Really! So the ol' man finally talked ya into joinin' us? And I bet Allie was showin' ya around and then went and ditch ya, _si?_ Sometimes I think that gal ought to be medicated. 'course, that could prob'ly be said about most of us."

Part of England wondered if any of America's children could speak English properly. A bigger part wondered if the younger nation had talked about him to each and every one of the States. It was almost ridiculous how happy they were to see him.

Texas laughed at the annoyed expression on England's face. "C'mon, the ol' man should be about done with the usual greetings by now. I'll take ya to him."

Unlike New York, the Texan didn't latch onto him or take him by the arm and pull him through the crowd. The State was surprisingly polite, gesturing for England to follow him and then leading him around the crowded areas instead of straight through them. It wasn't long before he was back by America's side.

Texas winked and then walked away. "Have a pleasant day~"

"I don't know where Kentucky is, Alabama," America was saying. "You'll have to ask the others."

Alabama, a teenager with wavy brown hair and stormy blue eyes, sighed heavily in disappointment before walking away from his father.

Scratching the back of his neck, America looked around at his large family with a fond smile. His smile grew wider when he saw England standing next to him. "Have fun with New York?"

"She left me alone," England informed him.

America chuckled. "Yeah, she does that sometimes. She'll be back to apologize later. Probably. So, did you get to meet the birthday kids?"

"A few of them," England replied. He turned around, scouring the crowd for the State's he'd met. "There's Arkansas, Tennessee, and… Kentucky?" He paused for a moment, catching sight of America's bright smile from the corner of his eyes. "Then there's West Virginia over there with Pennsylvania and…" He hesitated, not quite remembering their names.

"Looks like Ohio and Michigan," America said. "It's okay if you don't remember. There's fifty of 'em. That's a lot to remember in just a day. I'll introduce you to 'em later one by one. It'll be easier that way."

England nodded in agreement. He felt lucky he was able to remember most of the States he had met. He looked around again and quickly found New York talking to a pair of blond's he assumed were Quebec and Ontario. New Hampshire was also there, his red hair drawing his eyes like a beacon. "New Hampshire. He was the last one I met."

"There's one more left," America informed him. "Then after we eat cake and watch them open presents, we can go relax somewhere away from this craziness."

"That's surprisingly thoughtful," England said.

America shrugged. "Yeah. Mattie figured it'd be a bit overwhelming for you, so he said I should give you a break after you meet some of the States. Anyway, I wanna grab something from the gift table before I introduce you to the last birthday girl."

England was led to a table piled high with gifts of various shapes and sizes. He watched as America picked up a lime green one, but before he could get a look at the name scrawled across the top America swung it to his other side and began leading him back out in the crowd of people.

"Who am I meeting?"

"Hmmm? Oh, my tenth state. I, uh, named her Elizabeth." A faint blush spread across America's face. "Elizabeth Aretha Jones."

England stopped walking, automatically reaching for America's arm to stop him as well. "America, you…"

America fidgeted and then began speaking so fast that England could barely keep up with what he was saying. "I named her when I was still a colony… she was so cute with her big green eyes. She cut her hair really short one time and it reminded me of yours and it was around that time that they started asking me to give them names so I couldn't help but name her after you…"

England was knocked speechless. To think that America had named one of his beloved States after him, especially one of the Original Thirteen…

The next thing he knew, America was flagging down one of his many blonde daughters, a country-looking girl wearing jeans and a deep green tank top with a flannel shirt tied around her waist. There was a white, four-petal flower pinned on the side of her bangs, though it seemed to only serve as decoration, as her hair stuck up in odd places despite it's length.

"Daddy!" Elizabeth threw her arms around America's neck and squealed happily when he spun her around in a circle. Her green eyes sparkled as she took a step back and looked at England curiously.

"Virginia," America threw one arm around England's shoulders, pulling him in close. "This is England. And he has a present for you!"

England felt the gift being pressed into his arms before America nudged him forward a little. He awkwardly held it out to her, wondering what his boyfriend was up to. "H-happy Birthday, Virginia."

She beamed and eagerly accepted the present. "Thanks!" She began to unwrap it, carefully peeling apart the flaps to keep the wrapping paper in one piece. After a few long seconds, she was able to slid the box free. Her eyes lit up in delight when she removed the lid and saw what was hidden within. "How cute!"

When a floppy, white unicorn with a pink mane and tail and a sparkly silver horn was removed from the box and immediately cuddled to Virginia's chest, England couldn't help but gape at her.

America's States were ridiculous.

There was New York, who seemed to be a female version of America; Texas, who reminded him very strongly of Spain with his overwhelming friendliness and rather calm but confusing personality; and Alaska, who he was certain took very much after Russia.

Then there was Virginia, with her pale blonde hair and bright green eyes, who clearly had a love for unicorns.

England wondered if her love of unicorns extended to other things magical. He felt he got his answer when he caught sight of a woodland fairy alighting on her shoulder to get a look at the plushy unicorn.

"Thank you, England!" Virginia said as America took the box and wrapping paper to dispose of it. She waited until her dad was gone before she said anything else. "I'm sure it's really something daddy picked out and wrapped, but thanks for playing along with him."

"Was it that obvious?" England asked.

Virginia laughed and nodded. "A little. It doesn't help that he always uses green when he wraps my presents. Anyway, it's nice to see you again."

England blinked in surprise. "Again? Have we met?"

"Once," Virginia replied. "You came to argue with daddy about something a couple years ago and I was there bringing him…" She paused. "Um, a gift. Alcohol." She sighed and quietly added: "Moonshine."

England thought back, trying to remember if he had ever seen her before. A dim memory of bumping into a blonde girl as he entered the American's house ran through his mind, but he couldn't remember any details.

"Lizzy!"

Virginia looked over and waved to a boy with hair as light as her own and a rather stubborn piece of hair sticking up into the air. "In a minute, Salem!" She looked back at England and smiled wryly. "I better go. Massachusetts has been drinking already and I don't want to think about what would happen if he met you while he's like that. Remind daddy I'm visiting him in two weeks, okay?"

England nodded and then the State was gone. He wasn't alone for long before America was back by his side, leading him inside and away from the crowded backyard. He snagged two plates of cake from France and then lead the way upstairs to the balcony, where they sat down and ate while watching the chaos below.

England found himself laughing when he spotted New York gleefully smashing a piece of cake in New Hampshire's face, just as she said she would.

"They're fun, huh?" America remarked, spearing a piece of England's vanilla cake. "Never a dull day!"

In response, England swiped a piece of America's chocolate cake. "It seems rather chaotic."

"It can be," America agreed. "You'll get used to it." He went back to his own cake, chuckling when he noticed Pennsylvania teaming up with New Hampshire to get revenge on New York. "I know you'll probably want a break from them after this weekend, but I'd love to introduce you to all of 'em. Just a couple at a time."

"I'll let you know when I'm ready," England said. "I'm still digesting all of this, to be honest. I don't understand how I never noticed."

America shrugged. "I never said anything. Neither did anyone else. It's not a big deal, Arthur."

"It is," England said. "How did France find out about them? _When_ did France find out?"

America thought for a moment. "Let me see… when was that? It must have been the early eighteen-hundreds, sometime after the Louisiana Purchase. He was there the day Louisiana became a state. He named her too. Suzanne Fleurette Jones. I'm not sure exactly when he realized it. Spain's known for a long time. Maybe even before France. Florida wasn't exactly little when she became a Jones. You'd have to ask them how they found out. Spain's story is pretty damn amusing." His eyes lit up. "And you've gotta ask Mexico about Texas! I love hearing that story. Mexico hates telling it. Tex was kind of a rebel as a child."

England was silent for a moment as he sliced off another bite of cake. "You were just going to wait until I figured it out for myself, weren't you?"

America shook his head. "Nah, I knew I'd have to tell you eventually. I just needed to figure out how. I guess New York solved that for me." He laughed and stuffed the last of his chocolate cake into his mouth. He started to speak with his mouth full, but stopped to swallow when England gave him a withering look. "I'm surprised they made it this long without blurting it out."

England raised one bushy eyebrow.

"Okay, I'm surprised _I _didn't blurt it out before now," America amended. His eyes were drawn down to England's cake and his licked his lips without realizing. "You gonna finish that?"

With a small smile, England pushed his plate over to the American. If it took meeting all fifty of America's States, plus others, he would do it, especially if it meant figuring out how he had missed something so huge.

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p>I'm half happy with this chapter, half unhappy. I must've rewritten the end about five times because there was so much I wanted to include, but it all felt like too much. I figured that I can add in what I skipped over in future chapters as I introduce the States.<p>

So, profiles! I'm just going to do the States with birthdays in June, though I'll keep it brief until their actual introductory chapter.

**Kentucky** - Sonya Jones - June 1, 1792  
>An enthusiastic State who loves anything to do with horses, whether it be racing, showing, or just riding for fun.<br>Full name: The Commonwealth of Kentucky

**Tennessee** - Alan Jones - June 1, 1796  
>Though he loves country music, he wishes people would recognize the other genre's of music his people have produced.<p>

**Arkansas** - Pierre Jones - June 15, 1836  
>A rather quiet State until he gets around Texas, who has a habit of getting him all riled up.<p>

**West Virginia** - Sarah Jones - June 20, 1863  
>Famous for her coal mines. She's rather tired of all of the incest jokes.<p>

**New Hampshire** - Cain Jones - June 21. 1788  
>One of the Original 13, he's one of America's more level-headed children.<p>

**Virginia** - Elizabeth Aretha Jones - June 25, 1788  
>One of the Original 13, she was home to the first permanent English settlement.<br>Full name: The Commonwealth of Virginia

(And though he was only mentioned in this chapter...)

**Yukon** - Irvine Williams - June 13, 1898  
>One of Canada's three territories. He shares a border with Alaska and is slightly terrified of her (though mostly he wishes she would stop sneaking up on him.)<p> 


	3. Civil War

**The 11th State**

_3. Civil War_

Two weeks after the birthday party, after spending some time relaxing in his London home, England found himself back at America's country home waiting to meet a few of the States. America had promised to only introduce a few at a time, but hadn't said anything about which ones he would meet.

"America, why the secrecy?" England asked as his boyfriend bustled by carrying a box of old toys.

America paused for a moment. "Mostly because I have no idea who's coming over. I left it up to D.C. to decide. Give me a sec to put this away and then I'll sit with you." He offered a dazzling smile before he jogged away, leaving England alone.

He didn't mind too much. Loneliness was something he was well acquainted with, though usually it wasn't something that happened when he was around the American. The younger Nation had a habit of dragging him into whatever was happening, whether he wanted to join in or not.

England leaned back and cast his eyes to the ceiling, mentally tracing the rough patterns to pass the time.

"Christ, he's as spacey as Ginny! And that's sayin' somethin' cuz with all of them fairy folk and whatnot-"

"Shut yer mouth!"

"Wow, I can see this was a _fantastic_ idea."

"Your view of great ideas is truly astounding, Allison."

England slowly lowered his gaze to the four teens standing at the other end of the hall, peering down at him. With a soft groan, he recognized New York and wondered if he would ever get a break from her. He dimly recalled the red-haired boy standing calmly to her left, and of course he remembered Virginia with her bright green eyes. The final State he had yet to meet.

She was a little taller and thinner than Virginia with longer, straighter hair and light blue eyes. Judging by the way she talked, she was one of the southern States, though he wasn't sure which one. (But really, how could he know until they told him?)

"Hey, it's my favorite British dude!" New York gleefully exclaimed.

Virginia looked at her curiously. "But I thought Uncle Ireland was your favorite."

"Yeah, my favorite _Irish_ dude. There's a huge difference, Ginny," New York corrected, sounding scandalized.

Virginia tried to hide her grin, but failed and ended up giggling.

Together the four walked over to join England. Virginia was more than happy to sit down next to him while New York and the redhead leaned against the opposite wall and the unnamed State stood awkwardly to the side.

"So you've already met Hammy," New York said, gesturing to the only male State.

"New Hampshire," he automatically corrected. "Cain Jones, the ninth State."

New York rolled her eyes. "You're so uptight."

"It's called _being polite_. Perhaps you should try it some time, Allison."

"Sounds boring. I'd rather be exciting!"

Virginia laughed at her Northern siblings. "Don't mind those two. Have you met North Carolina yet?"

England looked to the remaining girl, who offered him a surprisingly sincere smile.

"I'm Jessica, nice to meet ya!" She said, stepping forward for a handshake. "North Carolina, the twelfth State and twin of South Carolina."

"Home of country hicks," New York added playfully.

North Carolina shot her a glare. "Can it, Yankee!"

New York stuck out her tongue.

North Carolina flipped her the bird.

"Can we not start a second Civil War?" New Hampshire asked, stepping between them. "Behave. Dad has company. And you both promised to be on your best behavior for Virginia's birthday."

"This _is _their best behavior," Virginia said. "So where is daddy anyway? Usually he's out front waiting for us. He didn't forget we were coming over today, did he? He does that some times."

England's head spun. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He thought he was ready to meet them. Clearly he wasn't, if all he could think to do was sit there and gape at the four of them, trying to figure out why the conversation they were having when they burst in the front door was bothering him.

Realizing the four were staring at him, England sat up straight and cleared his throat. "America went to put something in storage. He'll be back soon."

New York and Virginia groaned in unison.

"Not the storage room," New York muttered. "He'll be in there all day! I'll go try to get him out. If I'm not back in fifteen, one of you come get us." She hurried away, knowing exactly where to go.

"Ten bucks says she's not coming back," North Carolina said.

"Twenty says dad comes running out before she does," Virginia said in response.

There was a moment of silence before Virginia stood up and the two girls shook hands and bumped fists before spinning around and slapping their palms together. They paused and then giggled at their own silliness.

"If you're finished, I think now would be a good time to have a talk with England," New Hampshire spoke up.

England watched as the female States sobered up and moved to stand on either side of their brother. He watched them wearily, wondering what they were planning. He hoped he wasn't about to sit through an interrogation by his boyfriend's children. That would be too weird, even by his standards.

"So what do you want to know?" Virginia asked, making the first move.

"Pardon?" England questioned in surprise.

North Carolina grinned. "Don't sound so worried! We ain't here to interrogate you about what you want with dad or nothing. I'm pretty sure that's Anna's job."

New Hampshire coughed to cover up a chuckle at that statement.

North Carolina continued as though she'd never been interrupted. "We just figured you'd have questions and stuff. Dad and Allison aren't very good at staying on top of things 'cause they're always so busy. Come to think of it, Ginny's usually pretty busy too."

"You try being a regional representative," Virginia said defensively.

"No thanks. I'd much rather watch you and Georgia bitch slap each other over it," North Carolina replied with a grin. She ignored her neighbor's grumbles about how "she _was _the goddamn south and not some stupid Yankee state - no offense Cain" and something about Georgia and dogs. She'd heard it all before in long, drawn out rants over ice cream sundaes and cheesy romance movies.

At New Hampshire's prodding, England began to think about what he wanted to ask them. He'd had so many of them before he arrived at his boyfriend's house, but at that moment, with three teens in front of him ready to answer whatever was thrown their way, he couldn't think of a single one.

How frustrating it was, to know what he wanted to ask but not knowing how to properly word it.

There was one thing he could ask. He'd brought it up around America before but hadn't gotten a very satisfactory answer.

England cleared his throat to get their attention and call an end to Virginia's long-winded rant. "Why doesn't anyone talk about you. If you've really been around this whole time, why didn't I notice?"

The three States exchanged glances.

"We weren't hiding… exactly," North Carolina began awkwardly. "I mean, we did at first because we were terrified. We were so young then…"

"You were gone often enough that it wasn't a problem for dad to hide us," Virginia took over. "After all, back then we were only thirteen instead of fifty. It wouldn't be possible to hide away all of us in one place today." She laughed. "He was scared of what you'd do if you knew about us. We could all feel our connection to him. We knew from the start we weren't countries, but we could tell that he was different. And then people starting rebelling…"

"We were teens then, but barely," New Hampshire said. "Or perhaps that was only mentally. We didn't have much to do with the Revolution. Dad kept us hidden away from harm and took care of everything by himself. We didn't do anything until after the war."

Virginia leaned back against the wall. "It was a weird change, going from individual colonies to thirteen united states. Suddenly everything was supposed to be different but actually it was all just… the same. It was exactly the same as before. But dad seemed happy, so we didn't say anything. But then…"

"Civil War," North Carolina said bitterly. "We thought for sure, during those moments our thoughts weren't clouded by battles, that everyone would know about us before it was over. How could they not?"

"Dad wasn't fighting with himself. He was just worn down, tired, war-weary," New Hampshire took over, his eyes glazed over with pain. "I remember… he tried to stay out of the fighting. It was the first time he didn't personally lead a single battle. But it hurt him, not only because of his connection to the land and people… to see the children he'd raised fighting, trying to destroy one another. To know that Vir-"

"Cain," Virginia interrupted. "Don't."

New Hampshire paused and then conceded.

North Carolina fluidly took over after the awkward pause. "The only thing that changed afterwards was how close we felt to one another. We'd only loosely considered one another siblings before, but after that it was 'brother' this and 'sister' that. It just happened. It wasn't something we forced, it just slipped out at our first meeting after every Confederate state rejoined the union."

"We're still debating on whether or not South Carolina _actually_ surrendered," Virginia said with a grin.

North Carolina rolled her eyes. "That don't matter, Ginny. Stop bringing it up whenever you want to piss her and Georgia off."

"You do it too!"

"I'm her twin! I'm allowed to!"

New Hampshire shook his head and walked over to sit next to England so he wouldn't have to stop the two girls from fighting. "I apologize. We have the nasty habit of getting horribly off topic. We're not used to telling people about ourselves."

"It's alright. I doubt any of us are good at that," England said. "Nowadays our bosses are informed of us through letters from their predecessors. Except for me. My royal family knows about me from the time of their birth." He smiled, pride shining in his eyes.

New Hampshire chuckled. "We do the same. They're more inclined to believe the ones who came before them. I ended up in jail once when I barged into my new boss's office and he hadn't been told about me. He thought I was some kid trying to play a practical joke. I don't even remember what I was there for… All I remember is thinking 'oh shit' right before he nailed me in the head with his agenda."

England couldn't help but laugh at the story. He could remember a few incidents from his youth, many of which he was ashamed to admit had involved drinking. There was also that rather embarrassing day he'd burst into the office of President Franklin D. Roosevelt demanding to know where America was. Luckily for him, the man was used to America's even more outrageous appearances and was more amused than anything else.

"Those two will be at it for a while. Once Belle and Hilary - that's Georgia and South Carolina - get brought up, they won't stop until someone forces them too," New Hampshire explained. "Virginia and Georgia have some… unresolved issues and Jessica doesn't know whether to stick up for Hilary or insult her. Usually she just does both." He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe this is for the best. It's easier to explain when you're not constantly being interrupted."

England couldn't help but agree. He also felt a little less nervous when he just had one State to focus on, not that he was nervous in the first place! No, he could handle himself just fine in the company of America's children!

Right?

"Do you think you'll ever marry dad?"

Okay, maybe not.

England sputtered, his eyes going wide as he looked at the red-haired teen. "E-excuse me?"

New Hampshire calmly tilted his head to stare at the ceiling. "I only ask because my home is a wonderful place to get married. Particularly in fall when the leaves begin to change. Very pretty. I could do it right in my backyard. It would be very peaceful."

England was speechless.

Thankfully, he didn't have to answer. At that moment, America came sprinting down the hall. He quickly said "hello" to his children, then took England by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

"_We need to go,"_ he whispered hurriedly, glanced over his shoulder. _"Now. Seriously."_

England couldn't agree more.

New Hampshire didn't budge as the two ran off, though a small smile slowly spread across his face.

New York made her appearance at last, talking loudly on her cell phone. "That's right, Cali! Guess who legalized gay marriage. _Me,_ bitch! And my people can't change their minds in just a few months and repeal it like _someone_ I know!"

Meanwhile Virginia and North Carolina's bickering had morphed into a discussion on the next movie night and what was the best method for getting stains out of carpet, furniture, walls, and ceilings.

New Hampshire chuckled. "If he can't handle us, there's no way he's ready for the others. I hope dad knows what he's doing…"

* * *

><p><em>Bonus<em>

_March 1861_

Virginia was beginning to hate State conferences.

No, to be honest, she'd started hating them years ago when her siblings first started to argue over their rights and when the voting for Free or Slave states began.

With the succession of South Carolina and then Mississippi, young Florida, Alabama, and Georgia in the span of thirty days, fear had begun to grip her heart, along with worry for their father, who tried to stay so strong despite what his States were doing to him. (God, how she'd wanting to march down and smack South Carolina around for announcing her succession right before Christmas!) As Louisiana and young Texas joined what they were calling the Confederacy, her fear gave way to complete terror. She knew it was only a matter of time before her people came together to vote.

Meetings were unbearably tense. Her relationship with New York and New Hampshire was in tatters. She didn't dare speak to them outside of meetings anymore. She didn't dare try to make jokes with any of her northern siblings.

North Carolina and Tennessee were her support base. They were just as weary, just as anxious about the way things were going as she was. And Maryland, although firmly sided with the Free states, was still willing to offer up a shoulder to cry on. Young Arkansas, who had just begun his duties as a State, was at a loss for what to do, and spent most of their conferences tucked close to Virginia or Tennessee, trying to avoid the harsh words of the Free states.

Washington D.C. stood up slowly, which was all it took to get the attention of the gathered States. Blue eyes roved tiredly over them and then a sigh slipped past the Capital's lips. "That's enough for today. We'll pick this up tomorrow. Please have your notes more organized and be ready to present your complaints in a way that is not meant to intentionally offend any State."

Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania quickly gathered up their things and hurried to D.C.'s side to badger him about how America was doing. The Capital merely shrugged them off and left. The three girls stayed behind for a few seconds, exchanging bewildered looks before they chased after D.C.

"I'll take him," North Carolina quietly whispered to Virginia, gesturing to the slumbering Arkansas.

Virginia nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

North Carolina gently took the young state into her arms, brushing his dark blond hair out of his face as he settled against her chest. Her soft smile was strained as she and Tennessee left together after making sure Virginia would be fine on her own.

"You look like you've lost sleep."

Virginia looked up and locked eyes with Delaware, who looked sympathetic rather than hostile. It was little wonder, with her being the only Slave State whose people voted to stay with America.

Delaware sat down next to her, waiting for New York and New Hampshire to pass before she started to speak.

"I'm so tired of this shit," said the Delawarean bluntly. "We don't get any work done because everyone's so busy arguing. How are we supposed to prove to the other countries how strong dad is when we're split? And we're not just split in half like D.C. likes to pretend. We're split in three. Those who want to stay united, those who want to leave, and those who are practically neutral because they don't want to anger either side." She huffed. "It's ridiculous! I don't know what South Carolina and Georgia are thinking-and don't give me that look, Virginia! We all know they're at the head of this!"

Virginia sighed sadly. "I know…"

Delaware's expression softened as she took in her sister's defeated posture. "Hey… I shouldn't say this but…" She glanced around to make sure no one was listening in. "I heard a few rumors while I was checking in on dad a few days ago. It's… it's not good. You know the Confederacy has ordered all of dad's troops out of the south? Dad's boss isn't going to listen to that. There's a fort that they're holding onto. They won't give it up without a fight, Ginny. I hate to say it but you need to choose your side soon. At this point, war is inevitable. They're stubborn, so stubborn. Both sides."

Virginia stood slowly. "If it comes down to it, being forced to choose…" She met Delaware's eyes. _"Sic Semper Tyrannis."_

* * *

><p><em>May 23, 1861<em>

"Elizabeth? Where…"

Virginia couldn't bear to turn around and face him. She knew what she'd see. She knew if she looked at that moment, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to leave. She tightened her grip on her bag. Her breath got caught in her throat as she forced herself not to cry.

"You're leaving," America said, sounding utterly broken. "It's official then?"

She took a deep breath and stood up straight and proud. She had to do this. It was what her people wanted. "It is," she said, sounding far calmer than she felt. "It's what I need to do. It's what my people feel is the right path." Virginia followed her instincts and turned around, her brilliant green eyes harsh and cold.

America stood there, his hair ruffled, Nantucket drooping slightly. His eyes looked tired and dull and his glasses were missing completely. He favored one leg over the other. But despite all of that, he still seemed strong to her.

"I won't let you leave," he said. "I won't allow this."

"You can't stop me."

America strode forward suddenly and Virginia stepped back in surprise. When he reached for her arm, she slapped his hand away, leaving behind a bright red mark. The two stood there, too shocked to move.

America lowered his gaze. "Why…? I don't… Why are you doing this?"

Virginia stood up straight, loosening her grasp on her bag. No longer did her dad look strong. He looked broken. Defeated.

She didn't like it.

"You know why," she stated simply.

After a moment of silence, she turned and walked away. Her boots thudded heavily on the wood floor as she headed for the door. Along the way, a tiny girl with her light blonde hair tied in pigtails appeared, clad in a pink nightdress. She looked at Virginia and sleepily rubbed her mismatched eyes.

"Wizbeth?" She asked.

Virginia walked past her without saying a word.

Frightened, the girl ran to America, who scooped her up in his arms. Once settled, she stared after Virginia. "Wizbeth!"

Virginia paused at the door. "I'm sorry, Sarah," she whispered. Then she wrenched open the door and stepped out into the humid night, leaving behind everything she knew.

* * *

><p><em>June 8, 1861<em>

North Carolina appeared in the doorway of the room Virginia had claimed as her own. Arkansas was next to her, looking tinier than he should have.

Virginia looked up from her paperwork and offered a small smile to her siblings. She nodded. "Tennessee has officially joined us. He'll be arriving today."

North Carolina didn't question how Virginia knew that.

Arkansas released North Carolina and ran to his other big sister. Without warning, he crawled into her lap and she revised her former thought about him looking tiny. He said nothing, even as Georgia walked by and rolled her eyes at the sight of them and demanded for him to get up and make himself useful.

Virginia's green eyes flashed in warning. "Don't you have work to do, Belle?"

Georgia scoffed and then flounced away, her brown curls bouncing with every movement.

"Don't listen to her, Pierre," North Carolina said, walking into the room. "She's just pissed because things aren't going exactly as she wanted." She paused a moment. "She's not the only one who is unhappy. I would watch your back around Hilary too. I'm sure she'll come confront you about the whole capital of the Confederacy mess any minute now."

"South Carolina should know by now that we have no control about what our people decide," Virginia said, unconcerned by the news. "Can you go keep an eye out for Tennessee? I want him to see some friendly faces when he arrives."

North Carolina nodded. "Of course. Want to come with me, Ark?"

The younger state slid out of his sister's lap and hurried to North Carolina's side. He waved to Virginia as he left.

The Virginian sighed and sat back, closing her eyes. Things were happening fast; too fast.

* * *

><p><em>November 1863<em>

Virginia clenched the paper in her hand, staring out the window at the softly falling rain. Behind her stood Tennessee. His head was bowed, tears threatening to spill down his face. The two of them and Louisiana were the only ones in the house. The rest of the Confederate States were out fighting with their troops.

"We should be there," he said, his voice straining to rise above a whisper. He choked back a sob and furiously rubbed at his forest green eyes. "It's been two years. This should have ended by now."

Virginia said nothing, her own green eyes dull.

Silence washed over the room, broken only by the pattering of rain on the roof and the sound of their breathing.

Tennessee finally looked up. His gaze immediately zeroed in on his sister's shaking hand. "Lizzy…" He whispered, his voice cracking. He strode across the room and bent his knees so he could pull her firmly and securely against his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Virginia dropped the paper, allowing Tennessee to briefly glimpse the words _"Sarah Jones, West Virginia, June 20, 1863" _before his sister crawled into his arms, taking in what comfort she could.

Tennessee clenched his eyes shut and kissed the top of her head. He could say nothing more.

* * *

><p><em>April 1865<em>

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Virginia slowly turned around and came face-to-face with an irate brunette. She sighed emotionlessly, too tired to fight with anyone, especially not her sister. "I'm surrendering. This war is over. We lost, Georgia."

"Like hell we have!" Georgia shouted. "We can win this! We can beat them! And what gives you the right to surrender for all of us? Answer me!" She grasped the front of Virginia's dirtied shirt, tugging her close in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Belle, let her go." Someone rested a hand on Georgia's shoulder. "She's right. It's over."

Georgia shoved Virginia away and whirled around to slap the other State's hand away. "What do you know, Tennessee! You've been on _their_ side the entire time! Why the hell did you even join us if you're just going to give up at the first chance!"

Tennessee drew himself up, standing tall and proud as Arkansas rushed past him to stand by Virginia. "I joined because it was what my people felt was best. But they don't anymore. Everyone wants this to end. We surrender tomorrow. It's already been agreed upon."

"No!" Georgia shouted, shaking her head. "We can't throw away everything we've fought for! Where's your national pride? We're the Confederate States of America, damn it!"

"My pride?" Tennessee repeated as the remaining States joined them, each picking a side. "I know very well where my country pride is. And she's standing right there." He turned to the side so he could see both sides. "You ask what right she has? She has _every right._"

Georgia's brown eyes went wide as she locked eyes with Virginia's strangely dark green. "Y-you You can't be!"

"I ceased being only Virginia the moment you named Richmond the capital," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "We were doomed from the start. I cannot be both Virginia and the Confederacy."

"But you should have an even greater incentive to fight back!" South Carolina shouted. "Do you want to die!"

"That's exactly why she's surrendering!" North Carolina yelled back at her twin. "Her health has been declining for years! If we keep on, she'll die! Is that what you want?"

Stillness fell over them. Then Mississippi stepped away from South Carolina and Florida. He hesitated a moment and then crossed over to stand by Louisiana and Arkansas. Texas was next to follow. He walked straight over to Virginia and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry, sis."

"Don't be. Never regret," Virginia whispered to him. "Never regret fighting for what you believe in. I don't. You just need to recognize when you've lost."

"Love ya, Lizzy."

"Love you too, kiddo."

Florida fidgeted, glancing between Georgia and Virginia, unsure of what to do. Her eyes landed on Texas and the almost-smile on his face and her decision was made. Without hesitation, she glided over to the other side and stood proud by Louisiana's side.

"Fine," Georgia spat bitterly. "But I'm not giving in so easily."

With that statement, she turned around and left. South Carolina and Alabama remained behind for a moment. Then, South Carolina turned her back on her twin and followed the dark-haired girl. Alabama gave his older siblings an apologetic smile.

"We ain't quite ready yet. I need to stay and make sure they don't get themselves into deep shit."

Virginia nodded. "We'll be waiting."

* * *

><p><em>Late Summer 1870<em>

Home.

How good it felt to be _home_.

Georgia hesitantly stepped in the door, unsure of how welcome she would be. She could hear the joyous shouts of her fellow siblings, new and old, echoing throughout the house.

A little girl with light brown hair came running down the stairs in a loose fitting dress. What looked like a doll of a cow was clutched tightly in her arms. She slid to a halt in front of Georgia, her blue eyes curious.

"Hi."

"Hello," Georgia replied.

The little girl beamed. "I'm Tamara Jones! What's your name?"

Georgia hesitated a moment. "I'm Belle."

"Nice to meet you!" Tamara said enthusiastically. "Are you here for the party? Do you know daddy?"

"Tammy?" Called a voice that was all-too-familiar to Georgia's ears.

The Southern State automatically braced herself for the worst, standing up straight and clenching her fists at her sides. She watched as Virginia stepped into the hall, her mouth twisted down into a frown, her once-again bright green eyes narrowing slightly.

"Tammy, go play with Sarah and Enrique, alright?"

"Yes, Lizzy," Tamara replied, happily running off to find the older children.

Georgia and Virginia stood alone in the hall, staring at one another. Finally Georgia made the first move, her stubbornness not letting her do anything except walk forward to pass her sister.

"Do you regret it?" Virginia asked as she passed.

Georgia didn't hesitate. "Never."

"Good."

She stopped a few steps away and turned back to face the Virginian. "What about you? Do you regret it?"

Virginia turned around and met her sister's eyes for the first time in five years. "I do not."

The two stood there for a moment and then Georgia smirked and turned around. "Good." Without another moment's hesitation, she walked deeper in the house to be reunited with the rest of her family.

* * *

><p>End<p>

* * *

><p>Finished just in time for Virginia's birthday~! (And an early birthday for New York!)<p>

Anyone wanna guess what state I'm from? They've already been mentioned in the story at this point.

Sorry about the lack of USxUK! I'll have to fix that. (Actually, the states really took over this chapter. I meant to put the focus on England, but I kept failing.)

Civil war ages (physically):  
>15 - South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina,<br>14 - Tennessee  
>13 - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,<br>12 - Arkansas  
>10 - Florida, Texas<p>

Things to explain:

New Hampshire is one of the few states who allows same-sex marriages. New York has very recently joined that small number of states (and Washington D.C.) who allow same-sex marriage. She was talking to California on the phone. (The others are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa. Others allow civil unions, but _not_ same-sex marriage - Illinois, Hawaii, Delaware, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington)

Georgia was the last of the Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union. (Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas were readmitted earlier that year.) Arkansas was the first.

West Virginia was the only state to form during the American Civil War by seceding from another state. (Which was Virginia.) Nevada was the only other state admitted to the Union during that period of time.

_Why have Virginia be the representative of the Confederate States?_  
>Her capital (Richmond) became the capital of the Confederacy. Also, it didn't seem right to create a Confederacy only to kill him off. She seemed like the natural choice.<p>

**Profiles**

The Commonwealth of Virginia - Elizabeth Aretha Jones - June 25, 1788 - light blonde hair - bright green eyes - wears a dogwood flower pin in her hair  
>Named after England because of how much she resembles him. She is probably the oldest state and was home to the first permanent English settlement (Jamestown, 1607). Because of her closeness to Washington D.C. she has no major professional sports team to call her own. She tries to maintain a cheerful, almost childlike personality, but she slips up when in the presence of Georgia. A believer in magic and the paranormal.<br>Capital: Richmond  
>State Motto: <em>Sic semper tyrannis<em> (Thus always to tyrants)  
>State Flower: American Dogwood<br>Nickname: The Old Dominion  
>Joke "State Motto" (from funny2(dot)com): Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?<p>

New Hampshire - Cain Jones - June 21, 1788 - red hair - blue-green eyes, has reading glasses  
>Typically a very calm, relaxed appearing state. He thrives on the excitement brought about by his siblings, which is probably why he takes so easily to various outdoor activities. At one point he and New York fought over what is now Vermont. In recent times it's become more of a game to them, as they try to get the younger State utterly drunk just for laughs. Known for his seasonal and recreational resources.<br>Capital: Concord  
>State Motto: Live free or die<br>State Flower: Purple lilac  
>Nickname: The Granite State<br>Joke "State Motto": Go Away And Leave Us Alone

North Carolina - Jessica Jones - November 21, 1789 - long, straight blonde hair - sky blue eyes  
>She has a rather odd relationship with her twin sister, South Carolina. The two bicker all the time and she has no problem insulting her, but the moment someone else says something bad about SC, she'll immediately rise to her defense. Tobacco and cotton remain two of her biggest agricultural products. She and Virginia bicker sometimes, but they've come to rely on one another for companionship.<br>Capital: Raleigh  
>State Motto: <em>Esse quam videri<em> (To be rather than to seem)  
>State Flower: Dogwood<br>Nickname: The Tar Heel State  
>Joke "State Motto": Tobacco Is A Vegetable<p>

New York - Allison Jones - July 26, 1788 - short, wavy golden-blonde hair - dark blue eyes  
>America named her after himself. She's an enthusiastic girl who spends her time alternating between bickering with Delaware and avoiding her completely. She considers New Hampshire and Virginia to be her best friends and uses their houses as a hide-out. Though happy most of the time, her personality does a 180 when she gets behind the wheel of a car. For that reason, the other states don't let her drive often. Bears scars from 911. (And would really rather not talk about that day or her scars.)  
>Capital: Albany<br>State Motto: _Excelsior_ (Ever upward)  
>State Flower: Rose<br>Nickname: The Empire State  
>Joke "State Motto": You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney<p> 


	4. Along the River

Quick note: The way Arkansas speaks isn't a typical Arkansan accent, I'll explain why he talks like that at the end of the chapter. Also, I apologize if the French I use for Louisiana is incorrect. Please let me know how to correct it.

Also, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favorited/alerted or whatever. All of you are awesome! (And I swear it won't take me three weeks to finish the next chapter.)

**The 11th State**

4. Along the River

During their quest to avoid New York completely until she came down from her recent high (actually, they had just decided to avoid all north-eastern States for about a week), England found himself journeying to the southern portion of the United States. Though he got teased by all southern States for saying such a thing out loud (and a rather bright blush from America), it wasn't until nearly a month later that he finally understood how easily the sentence could be misconstrued and henceforth never repeated it.

He had forgotten how huge homes in the Deep South could be. And how hot as well. It seemed that going to the south in the middle of summer wasn't their most brilliant idea.

So there they were, at a lovely old plantation house with a perfect green lawn and large trees covered with Spanish moss. From his place at the balcony on the second floor, England could spy a raccoon climbing up and down a tree, much to the annoyance of a pair of dogs, who barked at it whenever it dared to get too close to the ground.

A pair of America's children walked out of the woods, one of them a boy with spiky blond hair and the other a girl whose brown hair was mostly covered by a sequined blue-and-white cowboy hat.

"Hey, babe," America greeted, coming up behind England and wrapping his arms snugly around his waist. He kissed the British man on the cheek and then rested his chin on his shoulder, peering down at his children as the girl chastised the dogs and the boy cuddled the raccoon. "Looks like Alan and Sonya are here."

"Which states are they?" England asked.

"Alan's Tennessee and Sonya is Kentucky," replied America. "The raccoon is Gracie. I think it's supposed to be short for Graceland. And this is Louisiana's house. Her and Arkansas are downstairs, when you're ready to meet them."

England hummed, leaning back into America's hold. How nice it was to spend a peaceful moment with his lover. "Are they as crazy as the others?"

America chuckled. "Nah, they're not too bad. Kentucky can be a little goofy and Tennessee tends to break out into song at random times, but they're pretty easy to keep up with. Louisiana breaks off into French and Spanish sometimes, mostly when she's talking to herself, and you gotta watch out for her food 'cuz she makes it super spicy. Arkansas's real quiet. Well, unless him and Tex are in the same room, but Tex is busy with something today. I think him and New Mexico are stocking up on fireworks for next month."

England tensed for a split second, though it was barely noticeable. The way America held him so tenderly helped ease the pain that always accompanied the reminder of that day. He was over it, truly, but for so long just thinking of America's independence day sent him in an emotional downspin. It wasn't something broken so easily.

"Your birthday is next month…"

"Sure is," America responded cheerfully. "So's Mattie's. I'm trying to convince Mexico to make one that explodes into a huge-ass maple leaf for him. Wouldn't that be totally kick-ass? I'm gonna make Mattie cry like a baby from happiness _again _this year!"

England rolled his eyes. "I wish you would speak proper English."

"You love it."

"No, I do not."

"Do too~!"

"America, you git-"

A knock at the door interrupted their bickering. England pushed America away as he turned around to see who it was.

Looking as though he would rather be somewhere else at that moment was a teenager with wavy caramel blond hair. He seemed vaguely familiar to England, though he couldn't begin to recall who he was.

"Ark!" America greeted happily. "What's up? I thought you were helping Suzanne cook."

"Got kicked out," said the State in his surprisingly deep voice. "She want's y'to help. Told 'er I'd get ya."

"No prob!" America said happily. "She won't let me do much anyway, but at least I can sneak a snack." He glanced over at England, who looked rather unsure. "Stay up here and relax if you want, babe. I'll come get you in time for dinner, but if you wanna come down before then just follow the smell of food."

After a cheery grin and a quick pat to Arkansas's back, which had the younger man stumbling slightly, America was gone.

Arkansas rubbed the back of his neck, his blue eyes cast demurely to the floor. "Don't s'pose y'remember me. Only met once."

Perhaps it was the boy's shyness, the way he reminded him somewhat of a much younger America when the boy thought he was about to get a scolding, but England couldn't bring himself to feel annoyed by how Arkansas spoke. It seemed to be more of a speech impediment rather than complete disregard for the English-language.

England struggled to remember where he had seen the boy before. It must have been at the birthday party. Yes, that was it! The boy had hardly spoken then as well.

"It's nice to see you again, lad," England said warmly. "We didn't get much of a chance to chat at the birthday party, what with New York dragging me all over the place."

Arkansas relaxed a little. He looked up from the floor and offered a small smile. "S'alright. Hones'ly didn' think you'd remember, but 'm glad you do."

The two lapsed into a surprisingly comfortable silence. England turned around to look back at the front yard, resting his arms on the balcony's high rails. Arkansas stood in the doorway for a moment longer before he walked over to join the Englishman.

"M'glad ya decided ta meet us," Arkansas said. "Dad's been worryin' 'bout it fer while now. Whether er not we'd get 'long. Couple the States won' like ya too much, but y'know, can' be loved by ev'ryone."

"I've received some rather vague warnings about that," England acknowledged. "It's to be expected. Everyone in the world getting along perfectly is an impossible dream."

Arkansas chuckled. "Tha's true. I don' even get 'long with all my siblings."

"Aw, Tenn, I think little Arky is talkin' about us again," came a teasing drawl.

"I believe you're right, Tucky."

Arkansas muttered something, but didn't turn around to greet the two.

England on the other hand, took a deep breath and turned around, praying that the two weren't a pair of States who disliked him. Now that they were close enough for him to see them clearly, he could vaguely remember them. Undoubtedly they were a few of the States he had very briefly been introduced to earlier that month.

The girl skipped over to him and stuck out her hand, her green-blue eyes glittering with happiness. "The name's Sonya or, if you'd prefer, Kentucky!"

"And I'm Tennessee, otherwise known as Alan," introduced the boy. He gestured to his shoulder and the raccoon popped it's head up to stare at England with it's beady black eyes. "This here's Gracie. Ain't she a cutie?" He grinned and rubbed her head, eliciting a strange, almost-cooing noise from the creature.

"Pierre~" Kentucky sang, ignoring England completely in favor of draping herself over Arkansas. "Suzanne expresses her extreme displeasure at being abandoned in the kitchen with only daddy for company."

"She wan'ed me ta get 'im," Arkansas replied, pushing her away.

"She sent us up here to get ya," Tennessee told him. "Better get down there and help 'er. Y'know how she gets."

Arkansas frowned, but said nothing else. He nodded at England and then walked away, leaving England in the company of the other two States.

"Now we get our turn with you!" Kentucky said happily, turning her attention to England. "Glad to see New York didn' manage to scare you away. We're not all that bad. I promise," she said with a giggle. "'cept for maybe Tenn-"

"Hey!" He protested. "I ain't that bad! Not like you, miss horse-fanatic!"

"Country boy!" Kentucky shot back.

"I've got other goddamn music!"

"Well ya wouldn't know it!"

"Well maybe if you'd stop focusin' on it!"

"Nope~!"

As Tennessee growled in frustration, England decided to take that opportunity to sneak away from them and go find America. He really needed to stop finding himself alone with the States.

* * *

><p>When England finally located the kitchen in the large plantation house, he expected to find America lounging about, being more of a hindrance than a help. Instead, he found only a frail-looking girl with blonde hair sitting at a low table chopping up peppers. A quick glance around confirmed that neither America nor Arkansas were around.<p>

"_Bonjour, Angleterre," _she greeted in her strangely accented voice. _"Je m'appelle Suzanne Jones. Je suis Louisiana."_

England jumped in surprise. "H-hello," he stammered.

Louisiana giggled, setting aside her knife so she could give him her full attention. Her hands worked fluidly as she easily backed up her wheel chair and turned to face him. "Dad and Pierre went to run errands for me," she informed him, her voice lacking the infamous southern drawl and instead sounding much more French. "They'll be back soon if they don't get distracted. Though since it's them, they prob'ly will." She sighed. "I would've sent Sonya and Alan, but they've been fussin' so much I don' trust 'em to make it there and back."

"Ah." England didn't know what to say. It was so rare for one of their kind to suffer an injury like hers. Coupled with the fact that she looked so much like France, with her laughing blue eyes and thick, wavy blonde hair, he wasn't sure how to act around her.

"Perhaps I should start keeping' my servants 'round when I have company…" she murmured as she wheeled herself over to the fridge. She easily opened the door, pulling out what she needed and piling it on her lap.

England watched in amazement as she made her rounds through the kitchen, pausing now and then to get something from a drawer or cabinet until finally returning to the table to deposit what she had gathered.

"Would you like some help?" He asked, remembering his manners at last.

Louisiana smiled at him. "No thanks. Papa's already warned me about your cookin' skills." She went back to her work, first checking something in the oven and then going back to her search. _"Où est…?"_

"Damn brat," England grumbled. "Like _his_ cooking is any better."

Louisiana giggled. "Not daddy; _papa_. Ah, my papa is France_._ I spent a few years with him recently. Vacation or recovery time or somethin'," she patted her legs. "Tha's why my accent isn't right. I got back a month ago. Been spendin' all my time here at home and haven't really been out minglin'."

"I-I'm sorry."

"About what? It's not your fault," Louisiana said. "I'm getting better. Doc says I'll be able ta get 'round on crutches soon. Just gotta build up leg strength a l'il more." She gave up on her search, returning to the table to mix together something. "Actually, you can help me. Papa would disagree, but I'm sure it'll be okay if you follow my instructions. It's pretty simple anyway."

England walked over to her, eager to help and prove that he wasn't completely worthless when it came to cooking tasty food.

* * *

><p>"…an' then one of 'em jumped out and smacked <em>Angleterre <em>in the face!" Louisiana enthusiastically said, her Cajun accent finally coming into play and making it difficult for everyone to understand her. "I don' think ah've eva seen someone run from a crawdad that fast!"

Kentucky looked a little pale, but Tennessee continued eating his dessert while laughing at the story and Arkansas looked amused as he sat back and listened to her talk. America chuckled as he and England bid the States goodnight and retired to their room.

"Sounds like you and Louisiana had some fun today," America teased as they ascended the stairs.

"Yes," England said dryly. "And I do loath to think how quickly that _lovely _story will travel around to the rest of your children."

America laughed, quickly stealing a kiss before running the rest of the way up the stairs. "They'll know by tomorrow!"

"Wanker," England muttered even as his lips twisted up in a smile.

* * *

><p>End chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Translations<strong>:

"_Bonjour, Angleterre," _she greeted in her strangely accented voice. _"Je m'appelle Suzanne Jones. Je suis Louisiana."_  
>= "Hello, England. My name is Suzanne Jones. I'm Louisiana."<p>

...She went back to her work, first checking something in the oven and then going back to her search. _"Où est…?"_  
>= "Where is...?"<p>

* * *

><p>All joke state mottos are from www(dot)funny2(dot)com.<strong><br>**

**The Commonwealth of Kentucky **- Sonya Jones - wavy brown hair, usually tied in pigtails, wears a cowboy hat - green-blue eyes - freckles  
>Capital: Frankfort<br>An enthusiastic State who loves anything to do with horses, whether it be racing, showing, or just riding for fun. It's not unusual to hear her playing Bluegrasss music. She's usually seen hanging out with Tennessee and Arkansas while she avoids Alabama at all costs.  
>She is one of 4 States to call herself a Commonwealth<br>Nickname: The Bluegrass State  
>State Motto: United we stand, divided we fall<br>Joke "State Motto": Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names  
>State Slogan: Unbridled Spirit<p>

**Arkansas** - Pierre Jones - slightly wavy, golden brown hair - sky blue eyes  
>Capital: Little Rock<br>A rather quiet state. He was in acuality the youngest Confederate state during the Civil War (despite Texas and Florida being the newest) and it scarred him for quite some time. He's still close to Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, looking to them for support. He's also become fond of Kentucky. He and Texas are also close, from sharing a border and from him helping Texas achieve independance from Mexico.  
>Nickname: The Natural State<br>State Motto: _Regnat populus _(The People Rule)  
>Joke "State Motto": Literacy Ain't Everything<br>Interesting note: I named him Pierre because the name means "little rock"

**Tennessee** - Alan Jones - spiky blond hair - dark green eyes  
>Capital: Nashville<br>A chipper state with a love of country music (which he happily shares with Kentucky). He does get tired of people thinking that's all he's good for, as plenty of other good music has come from him. (Birthplace of the Blues, home of Elvis Presley...) He and Georgia don't get along and they're currently fighting over the border they share. He has a raccoon companion named "Gracie", which may be short for Graceland.  
>Nickname: The Volunteer State<br>State Motto: Agriculture and Commerce  
>Joke "State Motto": The Educashun State<br>State Animal: Raccoon

**Louisiana** - Suzanne Fleurette Jones - thick, wavy blonde hair - blue eyes - wheelchair  
>Capital: Baton Rouge<br>She was once a Spanish and French colony. (More like - first French, then Spanish, then British, then French again, before finally sold to the United States.) Because of her mixed heritage, she is very multicultural and multilingual. She's very much a good hostess and is known for her flashy parties and spicy, cajun food. Her southern coast is slowly being washed away, which makes her recovery from Katrina (plus the following hurricanes) even more difficult. She's currently in a wheelchair, though her stubbornness will most likely lead to her being able to walk again someday.  
>Nickname: The Pelican State<br>State Motto: Union, justice, and confidence  
>Joke "State Motto": We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign<br>Interesting note: Louisiana was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, particularly New Orleans. This, along with the slow response to the disaster, is the reason she's in a wheelchair.

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry it took so long for me to write this! Writers block is a terrible thing and I found figuring out how to do accents properly is kind of a daunting challenge. So I decided to write about some Southern States rather than Canada's provinces, which was my original plan. (They get the next chapter though.)<p>

So, about the way **Arkansas** speaks:

Writing his dialogue felt somewhat like writing a southern version of Sweden. (laughs) Anyway, like I said at the beginning of the chapter, it's not a stereotype or something I picked up from listening to someone from Arkansas talk, it's something I came up with on my own when I was trying to figure out what his character would be like.

During the American Civil War, he had been a state for about 24 years and though Florida and Texas were both younger as States and looked to be around ten, he was the youngest of the Confederacy (due to Florida and Texas being ruled by different countries for quite a while). I imagine it would've been particularly difficult on him, not having the experience to deal with everything and so he stuck pretty close to Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee during that time. He also stopped speaking during that time. He's sort of stayed like that, not speaking much except to those he trusts or those who don't make fun of his speech. (So it's a good thing England didn't criticize his manner of speaking, otherwise that would have been a few dialogue-less paragraphs.)

So, **any new guesses **on which State I live in? One person guessed New York last chapter, but that's not it. (It was a good guess, since she'd been in every single chapter up until that point.) The State was introduced before this chapter. (Please don't say it if you know me in real life, that's cheating!)

**Next time: **Interlude: Canada's Provinces part 1

And after the first interlude, it'll be **The Revolutionaries** (DE, PA, MA, CT, NJ, RI)


	5. Interlude: Canada's Children

The 11th State

_Interlude: Canada's Children_

After a few somewhat peaceful days in the unbearably hot South, avoiding New York and any other State who allowed gay marriage for fear of being tied down until they announced where they wanted to get married, ("We aren't even engaged!" "Doesn't matter to them!") England decided it was in his best interest to take a little break and go visit the calmest member of their family. Aside from going home, where his brothers would eventually find and harass him, visiting Canada was always relaxing.

England arrived at the Canadian's house around noon, carrying a box of maple fudge as a gift. He straightened his tie and made sure he looked presentable before ringing the doorbell. He smiled, already prepared for the inevitable look of surprise from the younger Nation. He did love how routine his visits were; how easily he could predict how things would go.

"Sas! Answer the door!"

England's smile slipped.

_That_ was not normal.

"Make Eddie do it! He's closer!"

"Actually, Scotty's the closest."

"Don't be doin' that to me when I'm just walking by!"

England wondered if it was too late to run away. Judging by the amount of noise emanating from the house, Canada had more than a few guests, one of which was a female with an almost-Scottish accent. However, it would also be rude to leave after ringing the doorbell.

"I'll get it!"

There was the sound of footsteps and the loud _thump_ of something hitting the wall before the door opened. Standing in front of England was a stocky teenager with curly golden hair and eyes the color of the sky before a heavy storm. Fish hooks and various lures were stuck through his overalls and a bit of wound-up fishing line could be spotted sticking out of a pocket.

"'ello there," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

England took a moment to process the fast speech. "I'm here to see, er, Matthias? No, that's not right. Matteo? Matt…" Damn, what was Canada's human name?

The boy looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Matthew?"

England brightened. "Ah, yes! That's the one! So, is he around or have I gotten the wrong house?"

"You've got the right place, but he's not home right now," said the boy. "And really, if you can't remember his name then it must not be important, so I can't let you inside."

"Hey, Jadyn! Who's at the door?"

The boy-Jadyn-turned around to yell back to the person. "I haven't asked yet, Eddie!"

There was another thump and a muffled curse before an older boy came into view. He cast a glare over his shoulder while running a hand through his straight blond hair, feeling for injury. He raised an eyebrow when he saw England standing there. "I thought I felt a country nearby. Considering how much you look like Elizabeth, I'd say you're England."

Jadyn's eyes widened. "Ooo, really? So does this mean papa finally told him about us?"

"I doubt it," replied Eddie. "Go back to the others, Jadyn. I'll take care of this. And don't let Andrien come over here."

"Aye, aye!" Jadyn said, saluting his brother. He gave England a smile before abandoning his spot at the door. Eddie quickly took his place, blocking England's entrance into the house.

"I'm Edgar Williams, the province of Ontario," he introduced himself. "I suppose you heard about us from Uncle America and our cousins?"

England nodded, his initial shock wearing off upon hearing he was speaking to one of Canada's provinces. It made sense, when he thought about it. Normal humans wouldn't be lounging around a Nation's home, even if they were there on official business. "They have mentioned you a few times. I believe I heard New York complain about Quebec."

Ontario quickly made a shushing sound. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else was approaching and then gestured for England to step back so he could move onto the porch and shut the door. "You don't want Quebec over here," he explained with a scowl. "_I _don't want Quebec over here. He's a prat."

England couldn't help but chuckle at the very British term. "I take it the two of you don't get along."

Ontario snorted. "We get on about as well as you and France. So," he met England's green eyes with his sharp violet ones. "Is there a reason why you're here to see papa?"

"I just thought it'd be nice to drop in and pay him a visit before I return home," England said.

"You needed a break from the States, eh?" Ontario stated with a smirk. "Well, I doubt you'll find relief here, but you're welcome to come in and wait for dad to get back. I'll warn you though, you didn't come at a good time. All fourteen of us are here today and B.C. is in a really foul mood."

"B.C.?" England repeated.

"British Columbia," Ontario said. "Don't bring up the Stanley Cup, okay? We just got him to calm down."

England wondered if he was supposed to know what that was, but nonetheless agreed to not say anything about it.

Ontario reached for the doorknob, then paused. "I hope you're prepared for this."

_No, not at all_, England thought. He nodded and followed the Province into the house, hoping he was prepared to meet the children of the Great White North.

Upon entering the living room, which housed the big screen television, the comfiest huge couch known to man, and a coffee table loaded down with snacks, the first thing Ontario did was duck out of the way of a small bird as it tweeted loudly.

"Gerard!" Ontario barked. "Did you get your chickadee drunk _again_?"

"Huh?" Came the lazy reply. One of the boys got up from the couch, his sky blue eyes zeroing in on the little bird in a matter of seconds. He ran a hand through his windswept blond hair. "Well how about that, I guess he got into my beer. Come here, River!" He instructed, holding out his hand.

The bird zigzagged through the air to his owner, missing the hand by several centimetres and flying straight into the boy's chest instead. Gerard caught it before it could fall and the bird gave an indignant cheep before closing its eyes and drifting off into an alcohol-induced sleep.

Ontario sighed. "England, meet Gerard. He's New Brunswick."

"England?" Chimed several voices.

England gulped when every head in the room turned to face him, no one interested in the television anymore.

"What's he doing here?"

"You let him in?"

"Papa finally told him?"

"So Jadyn really _was _telling the truth…"

"I told you! I told you!"

Ontario brought his fingers to his lips and let loose a piercing whistle. His siblings immediately fell silent, looking to him for information.

"Everyone, this is England. He came to visit papa," he explained. "I'm sure he's had a rough time meeting the States, so we're not going to do anything to scare him off. Understood?" He directed a glare to a silent province, who met his gaze daringly.

England wagered a guess that he was Quebec. Mischievous blue eyes, a knowing smirk, perfectly styled wavy blond hair; he'd eat one of America's disgusting hamburgers if the boy wasn't the French province.

"_Oui_, I understand perfectly," said the province.

"Yeah right," muttered one of the girls. "That's what you said when I told you to not step foot over my border."

His smirk grew wider. "And I didn't."

"Fuck you!" The girl snarled.

A girl who may have been her identical twin except with lighter skin grabbed her arm and prevented her from climbing over the rest of their siblings to get to the boy. "Katie, calm down!"

Ontario clapped his hands to get their attention. "Enough! Don't make me separate you! And Quebec, stop instigating arguments!"

The blond boy rolled his eyes. "I'd like to see you make me."

Ontario clenched his hands, barely able to fight off the impulse to tackle his overbearing brother and beat him to a bloody pulp. "England, that's Andrien Williams. He's Quebec," he said through gritted teeth. "You've already met Jadyn, he's Prince Edward Island."

Jadyn waved from his spot on the floor where he was putting together a model boat with the help of a little girl with black hair and noticeably tanned skin. A teen who looked a lot like her sat nearby, keeping a watchful eye.

"With him is Nunavut, though she prefers being called her human name which is Aiyanna," Ontario said. "And he's-"

"Blake," interrupted the teen who looked like Nunavut. "I represent Northwest Territories."

England nodded in greeting.

"Next to Quebec is Yukon. His name is Irvine," Ontario continued with his introductions, pointing to a teen with short, wavy brown hair and hazel green eyes. "Between him and Katie is Austin, who represents Alberta."

Another boy with hair the shade of dry straw raised his hand in greeting, his smile extending to his periwinkle eyes. "Hello, England."

The Nation blinked in surprise at the slight Eastern European accent in the Province's voice.

"I'm Katie, or Labrador," spoke up the girl next to him. She jabbed her finger at her lighter-toned twin. "She's Astrid. She represents Newfoundland. Good luck understanding her when she speaks."

Newfoundland pouted. "I'm not that bad, right?" She asked, sounding as though she were speaking very carefully. Despite that, her voice was still laden with a distinct accent which would have made her words more difficult to understand if she were to speak like she normally did.

Labrador ignored her twin, choosing to speak to Ontario instead. "The others are in the kitchen. B.C. started to bitch again, so they dragged him in there to subdue him with sweet talk and maple syrup or something."

"Thanks," Ontario said. He gestured for England to follow him and then began walking away from his siblings, who quickly turned back to what they were doing before, no longer caring about the Nation in their house.

The scent of pancakes hit his nose the second Ontario pushed open the door and England found himself at ease. It was just like any other time he visited the Canadian's home. Matthew would invite him in and they'd immediately go to the kitchen, where the boy would prepare pancakes and fix him a cup of tea while he sat at the table and enjoyed talking peacefully about whatever came to mind.

"…well maybe if he'd just shut the hell up about it, I could actually move on! What those damn rioters did- It's not my fault! And he needs to stop blaming my Canucks!"

Just like that, any sense of normalcy was shattered.

The first thing England noticed was that two of Canada's children had bright red hair. One was a boy, sitting up on the counter and complaining about something. The other was a girl whose short red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, from which many strands were escaping. There were two other girls in the room, one with silvery-blonde hair pulled into two ponytails and rather noticeable assets (though it just may have been the way her shirt gathered around her bust) and the other with straight, light brown hair and green eyes which were quickly filling with tears.

"Don't start crying, Tallula," Ontario said gently. He quickly moved to her side and blotted away the few tears that had already fallen. "Pull it together, sweetheart. We have company."

She squeaked in surprise, quickly wiping away the rest of her tears before looking over at England. She offered him a wavering smile while nervously wringing her hands.

Ontario gave her a gentle push. "This is Tallula. She represents Manitoba."

Doing something he hadn't had the courage to do with any other province or state or territory, England stepped forward and gently took her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said before bending down to place a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

Manitoba turned in a bright red, squeaking, stammering mess as she scuttled backwards into Ontario, who couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter.

"What's this then?" Asked the red-haired girl. "Who've you invited into papa's house now, Edgar?"

"England," replied Ontario, his tone suggesting that it wasn't really a big deal.

"Huh, he's not nearly as short as Uncle Scotland made him out to be," she said. "Got some strong magic too, eh? Don't let Astrid get near him. They'll chat all day."

England frowned at the mention of his brother. Odd, it seemed as though he'd heard someone speak of his brothers before too… But how could they know them and not him? He had to know for sure. "How do you know Scotland?"

They all seemed surprised by the question. It was Ontario who answered first.

"Well, Rowena was named for him - she's Nova Scotia, by the way - and papa introduced us to him, ah… A long time ago," Ontario said, not wanting to count how many years it had been. "We've met Ireland and Wales as well."

England decided that he was going to kill his brothers for hiding something so huge from him. But first he wanted to get to know Canada's children a bit better, or at least learn the names of the final two. "You shouldn't listen to anything those bloody wankers say," he said. "So, who are you two?"

"British Columbia-"

"Saskatchewan-"

The two paused and exchanged amused glances. The boy with red hair bowed to his fair-haired sister, allowing her the privilege of going first.

"I'm Saskatchewan," she said with a smile. "Or Madeline Williams, whichever you prefer! It's nice to meet you, England. Papa speaks fondly of you."

England found himself returning her sincere smile, reminded very strongly of a certain Eastern European nation…

"And I'm Anthony, the anthropomorphic representation of British Columbia," said the red-haired boy.

Ontario rolled his eyes. "Nice word. Does this one exist or are you making up shit again?"

"Hey! I was _drunk_ last time!" British Columbia protested. "That doesn't count! And it's not like you could say it correctly either. And I don't know what the hell Scotty was saying-"

The girl in question scoffed. "You know very well what I was saying! You-" She suddenly broke off into a different language and England found himself surprised to know she could speak in (extremely) broken Scottish Gaelic, a language he had never quite gained a mastery of. Still, he knew it must drive Scotland absolutely crazy when she spoke like that and it was enough to gain a new appreciation for the provinces.

As the three continued arguing, England stood back and watched them. Saskatchewan and Manitoba soon joined him, knowing there was nothing they could do but sit back and let them fight, though if things started getting out of hand they would doubtlessly interfere.

And that was where Canada found them when he returned home with enough maple syrup to supply an army, but perhaps not his crazy kids.

-.-.-.-

End Interlude

-.-.-.-

I apologize for introducing them all at once. They'll be making appearances in the future, just not all of them at once.

Note about the profiles: I basically copied what I have written down in my notes. If anything is incorrect, please let me know. My only source of information about Canada is the internet, which I know is only so reliable. (Darn you wikipedia, why must you always be the thing that pops up when I'm searching for info!) If I've offended anyone, I apologize.

**Prince Edward Island** - Jadyn Williams - curly, golden-brown hair - gray-blue eyes  
>A collection of islands and Canada's smallest province.<br>Gets along well with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Though he's not the youngest of the provinces or territories, he tends to act like it. He'll often skip work or meetings to go wander around and talk to his people as well as the tourists who flock to his land. He goes fishing with Nova Scotia on occasion.  
>Capital: Charlottetown<br>Notes: I read somewhere that people from PEI speak the fastest of the maritime provinces, so I tried to include that.

**Ontario **- Edgar Williams - straight blond hair - violet eyes  
>Typically the peace-keeper of the group who tries his best to keep Quebec and British Columbia from killing one another, though he doesn't get along with Quebec very well himself and is often the one to start the fights. He tries to keep things under countrol when Canada isn't around.<br>Capital: Toronto  
>Notes: Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is located within his borders.<p>

**New Brunswick** - Gerard Williams - pale blond hair - sky blue eyes

Though he's a maritime province, he's very different from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, having more of a continental climate. He's more river-based than seacoasts. Ship building has been a big part of his industry, along with logging and farming.  
>A fairly relaxed province who enjoys boating in his free time. He gets along fairly well with Nova Scotia, who he treats as an older sister. The two spend much time together, occasionally going bar hopping. He also enjoys theater, though he admits it has the tendency to put him to sleep (because of the darkness in the theater, not because he finds it dull.)<br>Capital: Fredericton  
>Largest city: Saint John<br>Official language: English and French  
>Bird: Black-capped Chickadee<p>

**Quebec **- Andrien Francis Williams - wavy blond hair - light blue eyes  
>He and Canada disagree on many things. His hobby is prank calling France, Canada, and America (and occassionally New York, because he loves making her curse and scream)<br>He's Canada's largest province (though the territory of Nunavut is larger). He has long, very cold winters and short, warm summers.  
>Whether he's arguing with B.C and Ontario. or trying to become independant, he's generally a headache for Canada. He's currently calling himself "a nation within a united Canada". He's also fussing with Labrador over their shared border.<br>Capital: Quebec City  
>Largest city: Montreal<p>

**Nunavut** - Aiyanna Riley Williams - dark brown/black hair - light violet eyes  
>Canada's third and final territory. Youngest of all the territories and provinces.<br>The largest and newest of Canada's territories. She makes up most of Northern Canada and has many arctic islands. Her capital is located on Baffin Island. She has the smallest population of all the provinces and territories. She stretches so far that she shares a tiny land border with Newfoundland and Labrador.  
>A young girl with a big heart. She spends most of her time with Northwest Territories, since they share some of the same languages. She has a hard time telling when she's switching between languages, which makes conversing with her difficult for most of her other siblings.<br>Capital: Iqaluit

**Northwest Territories** - Blake Williams - straight dark brown hair - brown eyes  
>Mostly arctic tundra. Aboriginal people comprise a little over half of his population. His economy is reliant on the mining of gold and diamonds, and also natural gas and petroleum.<br>A calm, very reserved man who holds a great amount of love for his aboriginal people. He spends most of his time with Nunavut, who was once part of his territory. Unlike Yukon, he is unbothered that the provinces often don't include them in family activities.  
>Capital: Yellowknife<p>

**Yukon** - Irvine Williams - wavy brow hair - hazel green eyes - glasses  
>Has long cold winters, but long sunshine hours in his short summer allow him to grow hardy crops. Aboriginal peoples make up ~25% of his population. Mining has been an important part of his economy for many many years (Klondike Gold Rush). Tourism is also big. He was also split off of Northwest Territories.<br>He shares a border with Alaska and is slightly terrified of the American state. Despite that, they're good friends. (He just wishes she would stop sneaking up on him.) He takes some issue with the provinces getting together and not inviting him or the other two territories. To calm down, he'll go off and see how things are doing with his festivals, national parks, and the wildlife in general.  
>Capital: Whitehorse<p>

**Alberta** - Austin Williams - short, wavy blond hair - periwinkle eyes  
>Bordered by B.C. and Saskatchewan. He's the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Agriculture is a big part of his economy, particularly with cattle.<br>Will happily refer to Saskatchewan as his twin, since they became provinces on the same day. He loves water sports and makes use of his numerous rivers and lakes. Also enjoys various other outdoor activities.  
>Capital: Edmonton<br>Largest city: Calgary  
>Note: Because of the large number of Eastern Europeans (mostly Ukrainians) who settled in the prairies, each of them speaks with a slight accent. Alberta has a habit of speaking really fast when he gets excited and has the strongest accent of the 3 prairie provinces.<p>

**Labrador** - Katie Williams - light blonde hair, worn in a ponytail on her left side - lilac eyes  
>The twin sister of Newfoundland, together they form one province. She is the mainland part of the province. Though she has twice as much land area as Newfoundland, she has only a very small percentage of the population.<br>Her skin tone is significantly darker than Newfoundlands because of how many aboriginal people live in her lands. She and Quebec don't get along. They've been fighting over their border since before she officially became a province. Though she loves her sister very much, she would like to be her own province one day.  
>Capital: St. John's<p>

**Newfoundland** - Astrid Williams - light blonde hair, worn in a ponytail on her right side - lilac eyes  
>Largely a mixture of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, with some French mixed in. She is the home of L'Anse aux Meadows, which is the earliest known European settlement. She represents the island of Newfoundland.<br>The twin sister of Labrador, together they form one province. She speaks in a dialect known as Newfoundland English (and also a dialect of French known as Newfoundland French.) which makes it hard for others to understand her. Labrador can understand her perfectly and often serves as a translator. (Nova Scotia and Alberta also don't have much trouble understanding, though Alberta really has to concentrate on what she's saying.) She does not want Labrador to break away, feeling that it would mean they won't get to spend any time together anymore. She won't fight it though, if the federal government decides to separate them.  
>Capital: St. John's<br>Note: Newfoundland English is difficult to write! When she makes a second appearance hopefully I'll have a better grasp on how to properly write it.

**Manitoba** - Tallula Williams - straight, light brown hair - green eyes  
>A prairie province with much flat land. She also has many, many lakes. Polar bears are common in the northern part of her land. (As well as other large animals - moose, deer, wolves). Many Ukrainians live in her land.<br>She lives in a small house with a few acres, which she uses for farming. She's had some hard times in the past and can be kind of a crybaby at times, but she has always been able to pull herself together and forge ahead.  
>Capital: Winnipeg<br>Note: Because of the large number of Eastern Europeans (mostly Ukrainians) who settled in the prairies, each of them speaks with a slight accent.

**Nova Scotia** - Rowena Williams - wavy, short red hair - dark blue eyes  
>The second-smallest province. Her tourism highlights all things Scottish. Fishing is a major part of her economy.<br>A fairly strong, bright young lady who doesn't let her brothers push her around. She does have a slight temper, which reveals itself when she drinks. She adores spending time with Prince Edward Island, as he's one of the few who doesn't deliberately try to set her off.  
>Capital: Halifax<br>Note: The name "Nova Scotia" means New Scotland (as if that wasn't kind of obvious)

**Saskatchewan** - Madeline Williams - silvery-blonde hair, worn in ponytails - cerulean blue eyes  
>Sandwiched between Manitoba and Alberta. She and Alberta are Canada's only two landlocked provinces. She gets more hours of sunshine than any other Canadian province. Her summers can be very hot and her winters bitterly cold. Like Manitoba, she has a fairly big population of Ukrainians. Agriculture, mining and fishing are major parts of her economy. The oil industry is also large.<br>She and Alberta are typically regarded as twins, though they look nothing alike. (They both became provinces on the same day.)  
>Capital: Regina<br>Largest city: Saskatoon  
>Note: Because of the large number of Eastern Europeans (mostly Ukrainians) who settled in the prairies, each of them speaks with a slight accent.<p>

**British Columbia** - Anthony Williams - bright red hair - light violet eyes  
>Typically refered to as "B.C." by his family, he is known for his natural beauty. His economy is largely resource-based. He has several islands, one of which is Vancouver Island (not to be confused with the city of Vancouver, which is on the mainland) where his capital is located. He has seven of Canada's national parks.<br>He loves the outdoors. He and Quebec bicker a lot, usually over nothing very important. (Really, they only bicker to keep the French vs. English rivalry going and because it's how they vent frustration with other things.) When it comes down to it, they do get along fairly well.  
>Capital: Victoria<br>Largest city: Vancouver


	6. Revolutionaries

I tried to set this up so you can have some fun trying to guess which state is which before I actually say it. I know I have fun trying to guess when I'm reading other stories about the states, though I'm usually wrong.**  
><strong>

**The 11th State**

_5. Revolutionaries_

If America had to admit to anything, it was that he was worried about the next group of States who he was introducing to England. Fortunately for him, he wasn't being forced to admit his worry, though he knew England desperately wanted to ask about why he'd been acting so oddly lately.

He was trying to make it seem like nothing was wrong and that everything was the same as always, but every time he laughed awkwardly or stared silently into space he just made his boyfriend more and more suspicious about what was going on. He didn't know what to do. If he voiced his concerns, then England would be nervous about meeting them and that was the last thing he needed. One hint of weakness in front of them… America didn't want to think about it.

For once, America decided to take precautions. He had to make sure things would go well. That meant cutting out certain variables.

First, he took the time to rent out a small hotel in Pennsylvania – a nice, quiet one where they wouldn't be bothered. Once he sent out messages to the chosen states and got affirmative replies from each of them, he informed England of his plans. His boyfriend had taken a little coaxing to agree to meet them, saying something about needing to murder his brothers, but had eventually caved in and promised to meet the next batch.

On the day of their meeting, America left England to relax in their hotel room while he ventured downstairs to make sure everything was prepared for his children. All alcohol was removed from the room. Any small, sharp objects were also promptly evicted. He double checked the windows, thankful that the room was on the first floor.

Everything seemed fine.

America began to relax, slipping into his usual easy-going countenance.

The door slammed open and he turned with a greeting on his lips, only to remain silent when he saw and heard who it was.

"Excuse me? What the _fuck_ did you call me?" A girl screamed into her cell phone. Voluminous golden waves fell around her shoulders with two distinct curls separating themselves from their brethren on either side of her head. Her mouth was twisted into an angry snarl and her blue-gray eyes were stormier than America could remember seeing them for quite a few years.

"No, I want to hear you fucking say it again! _Say it again, bitch!_"

America winced. Just his luck, one of his more confrontational daughters was already spitting mad and he hadn't even had a chance to tell her why he was gathering them for a meeting. He began to consider cancelling altogether and telling England to stay in their room.

"Yeah, that's what I thought! Now if you value your life, you will never say that again or I_ swear to God_ I will beat your fucking ass into the ground! Do you understand me?" Her lips curved into a triumphant smirk and she stood up tall and proud. "Good." With that, she hung up, clipping her phone back onto her belt with an exaggerated motion.

She looked at America and a true smile broke out on her face, her eyes lightening considerably. "Daddy! Good afternoon!" She greeted, walking over to give him a great hug. "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that. I was just taking care of some unwanted business."

America chuckled uneasily. "I hope that hasn't put you in a bad mood, Miranda."

Miranda laughed. "Oh no. If I let every little thing like that get to me then I'd be angry all the time! So, why am I here?"

"Ah, you'll find out when the others get here," America said. "Saves me some explaining."

Miranda nodded in understanding and took a seat, looking around the meeting room curiously.

America wondered if she was cataloging everything she could use as a weapon. He wouldn't put it past his third state. It wasn't long before he picked up on new voices from the hall.

"…know, but if what Allison says is true…"

"Since when have we ever been able to trust what Al says? I mean, I know she's right sometimes, but this? I dunno. Dad would've told us."

Two boys entered the room and America found himself tensing once more. The taller of the two – a teen with short, light blond hair with a stubborn cowlick curving up from the rest and green-blue eyes shining with agitation – was clutching a thermos of what America desperately prayed was either tea or coffee or anything non-alcoholic. The other was a shorter, stockier teen with bedraggled dark blond hair, curling as though it hadn't seen a good brushing since his last shower.

"Salem," America spoke up with some hesitation. "What are you drinking?"

Green-blue eyes blinked slowly, glancing between his thermos and his dad. "It's hot apple cider. Want some?"

Relieved, America shook his head. "Nah, I'll get coffee." He smiled warmly at his sons, opening his arms to hug Salem and then the other one. "Things going well, Christopher?"

The shorter boy shrugged. "As well as usual. I almost punched Eric the other day when he buzzed that toy of his too close to my head. Next time I might break it."

"Break what?" Questioned a sweet, feminine voice.

"Penny!" Christopher yelped, backing off. His sea-blue eyes went wide at the sight of the pair of girls who walked into the room. Both of them had straight, golden hair and sky blue eyes, though the more curvaceous of the two had highlights of silvery-white.

America couldn't help but smile a little as Penny, his darling State of Independence, began to lecture Christopher about the proper treatment of others property and demanding to know how he'd feel if Eric broke one of his boats.

"Dad, Connecticut says he's going to be late," announced his other daughter. She went on to dutifully report the rest of the message. "He also says that we should get started without him, because he doesn't know when he'll get here. I promised to fill him in."

Well, there was one chink in America's plans. It wasn't too bad though. Connecticut was one whose reaction he was the least worried about. "Thanks, Anna," he said, offering her a small smile. "I guess we should get started." He clapped his hands, calling for their attention and once Penny and Christopher sat down at the table, he nervously began the formal introduction to meetings.

It felt weird to be standing before them without the other states present and even weirder to hold a formal meeting for something so personal. However, it was the only way to get their attention and show them how serious he was about it. He knew he came across as clueless and naïve and kind of air headed to people, including his children, but he needed them to pay attention and take him seriously for once. It'd been so long since he called a meeting himself…the last time had been the January of 1959 when he called them together to introduce his fiftieth state and final daughter.

"Delaware?"

Anna stood, easily meeting her father's eyes with her sharp blue ones. "Anna Laura Jones, representative of Delaware, present." She sat back down as Salem stood.

"Salem Benjamin Jones," he said, pausing to take a sip from his thermos. "Representative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Before could sit, Miranda was on her feet, her hair bouncing from her quick movement. "Miranda Loretta Jones, representative of New Jersey, present!"

Penny was a little slower to stand. "Penny Betsy Jones," she said with a sigh, detesting how Delaware had decided to say middle names when it was completely unnecessary. "Representative of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Christopher was last. "Christopher Roger Jones, representative of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." He too made a face at having to pronounce his full name.

"And I'm Alfred F. Jones, representing the United States of America!" He grinned at his children, who looked back at him, unamused.

"Why are we the only ones here?" New Jersey asked. "And where the fuck is Connecticut? Wasn't he supposed to be here?"

Delaware frowned at her. "He's dealing with something right now, but he promised to be here. I'll fill him in when he arrives."

"Please don't start fighting," Pennsylvania requested with a sigh.

New Jersey scowled but said nothing more, turning her attention back to America. "So why are we here, dad? You said you'd explain things once the others arrived and, aside from that damn Connecticut, we're all here now."

America breathed deeply. He could do this. He could handle a couple of States. "Okay, so I'm sure you've heard some, uh, interesting rumors from New York and maybe some of the others. About me. And England. And, um, that's what I want to talk to all of you about." He watched them for any ill reactions, but found that they were only watching him curiously. It gave him the strength to continue. "We're dating."

For a moment, the only thing America could hear was the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest. It overpowered his senses; he could feel his pulse through his entire body as he awaited the response of his children.

He wasn't surprised by the varying degrees of response he got from them. What did surprise him was the reaction of Pennsylvania.

New Jersey raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, her expression otherwise indifferent as though she wasn't at all surprised by the news. Rhode Island scowled but didn't start screaming or cursing over the news. Delaware muttered a simple "I know" and sat back in her chair, content to have the news validated. Massachusetts stared in shock, his hand gripping his thermos tight enough to start denting in the metal.

"No."

America's gaze flew to Pennsylvania, who looked at him with such venom in her blue eyes that he was taken aback for a moment. She stood up, her silky curtain of gold and silver hair flowing over her shoulders and shifting easily as she shook her head.

"I won't accept this. Not after everything that man has done to you," she said unwaveringly. "How can you even stand to be with him?"

New Jersey looked at her in alarm, one hand drifting to her hip where her hand gun was strapped. Delaware watched her sister wearily, only her eyes registering her surprise at how Penny was reacting. Rhode Island's attention was on America, ready to intervene if his dad needed him to.

"I-I love him," America said, stammering through his shock. "We've both hurt each other in the past, but that's all in the past. We're trying to move past that."

Massachusetts slammed down his thermos, sending a spray of hot apple cider over the table. The scent of alcohol emanated from the spilled liquid. "I won't accept this either," he hissed. "There's too much between you. You'll only end up hurt in the end."

America narrowed his eyes. "Salem, you told me you were drinking apple cider."

"Well I fucking lied! I do that sometimes!" Massachusetts stood at the very same time as America. "How can you do this? You know how we feel about that bastard!"

"That was ages ago!" America snapped back. "Get over it! I have!"

"He could have killed you!" Pennsylvania cut in. "He burned the Whitehouse! And—"

"Matt helped!" America interrupted. "And you've forgiven him for it, just like he's forgiven us for the shit we pulled back then! You can't hold a grudge against England for that!"

Massachusetts jumped back into the argument. "What about the Civil War? He would've supported the South if we hadn't done something about it! That would've been the end of you! Did you ever think of that? If the Confederacy had won, you wouldn't be here! You'd—"

_**BANG!**_

Massachusetts reeled back, clutching his shoulder as pain blossomed from one spot. A rubber bullet fell to the ground. He turned furious green-blue eyes onto New Jersey, who cocked back the hammer of her pistol threateningly.

"One more word, Salem," she hissed. "Just one. Give me a fucking reason."

"You…!" He snarled in fury.

Rhode Island shoved him back as Massachusetts started on New Jersey. Meanwhile Delaware held back Pennsylvania, preventing her from doing anything to assist their hot-headed brother.

For a moment there was nothing but silence in the room. The air was thick with tension, smothering any feeling other than anger or worry. One false step and the state of the room would snap and America didn't want to think about all of the things that could go wrong when the fury of his children was roused.

When the door opened and Connecticut stepped inside, all hell broke loose.

* * *

><p>England was rather miffed about America leaving him alone in their hotel room, even if he did have a book he was interested in re-reading. He supposed it was because the younger Nation had specifically told him to stay in the room. He loathed being told what to do.<p>

Which was probably why he meandered his way outside to a shady area where he could read and enjoy the hot summer breeze. To be honest, he didn't really want to be outside in the sticky heat, he just didn't want to do as his lover said. Part of him was beginning to regret that decision, as he waved another bug away from his face.

Lazily turning the page in his book, England frowned when he heard a loud buzzing sound. As the sound grew louder, he looked up from his book, expecting to find a bee or some other annoying winged insect flying around him. Instead, he cursed and dove for the grass just before a toy fighter plane crash-landed on the table and skidded far enough to fly off the end and fall onto the chair he had previously occupied.

He stared at it for a moment, recognizing it as a replica of a World War II plane much like the one America had flown. (With the ridiculous painted teeth and eyes on the thing, what else could it be but one of the Warhawk's America had been so fond of?) He wondered who crafted such a detailed toy and if there was any way he could commission one as a gift for his love.

England stood up and brushed himself off before checking to see what damage had been done to his book. To his relief there was none aside from some minor scuffs to a corner of the hard cover. He made sure to note what page he left off on before closing the book and turning his attention back to the aeroplane. He carefully picked it up, surprised by how light it was despite being made of metal.

There was a bit of damage to the main propellers, as well as one of the wings and the underbelly, but it seemed to still be in decent shape despite it's spectacular crash. He could make out three letters on the underside of a wing and he assumed they were the initials of whoever created it.

_E.H.J._

He looked around for the owner, seeing no one until a brunet in a brown jacket came jogging around the building with a remote control in his hands. As the teenager drew closer, he realized the jacket was actually an old leather bomber jacket and that the boy's hair was an interesting shade of light reddish-brown and was forced to stick up oddly thanks to a pair of old goggles on top of his head. When the teen waved at him, England figured the plane belonged to him.

"Gee, I hope she didn't hit you," he said as he took the aircraft from England. "I can't quite this one to steer properly yet and she keeps taking off on her own!" He laughed, revealing perfectly straight white teeth, his ocean blue eyes mirthful. "Nearly took out my brother with it the other day. Boy was he pissed."

"Luckily I was able to dodge," England replied with a terse smile. "I hope you know how to fix it."

"I think so," said the boy, sounding rather unconcerned. "Oh, I'm Eric, by the way! Eric Hale!" He smiled and held out a hand.

England gripped it in a brief handshake. "I'm Arthur."

"Arthur from England, yeah?" Eric said with a laugh. "I know a couple of Londoners. Good people. Actually, I probably know someone from every country. I fly around the world on business," he explained. "I guess you could say airplanes are my hobby and my job."

"Fascinating," England muttered. He wished he had stayed up in the room like America had told him to. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with one of his very chatty citizens. "I should go. I'm supposed to be meeting someone."

"Same here," Eric said. "I bet my sister's super pissed… Then again, she usually is. Crazy, grumpy Italian."

England wondered if he would ever be able to escape from the teen. He had a strange feeling about the kid. He reminded him far too much of the States, but he hadn't introduced himself as a Jones. Perhaps he was a City? England paled at the thought of one of the States having a kid. That was the last thing he needed.

'_States and Provinces and Territories_ _are more than enough,' _England thought. He cleared his throat, willing away the weary look which was no doubt on his face. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go. It was nice meeting you, Eric."

"Nice to meet you too, Sir Arthur!" Eric called after him.

The unusual title caused England to pause and glance back at the teen, who grinned and pointed at his book. Green eyes blinked in surprise and then realization. Flushing, he marched away, determined to get away from the strange kid.

* * *

><p>"Hey, dad, did you arrange a meeting with a British guy and forget about it or—" Connecticut abruptly stopped talking, his ocean blue eyes taking in the chaos in the room. There was New Jersey, with her trademark pistol pointed at Massachusetts, who looked about ready to rip out of Rhode Island's hold and attack the blonde girl. Then there was Delaware, who was doing a fair job holding back an unusually irate Pennsylvania. America stood in the middle of the chaos, looking unsure of how to handle the situation, as usually it was D.C. who took control of the States. "I'm gonna, y'know, go."<p>

"Don't you move, Eric!" Pennsylvania shouted. "Get in here and tell dad that it's damn stupid of him to date England!"

Connecticut nearly dropped his _Warhawk_. "W-what? Serious?" He asked. "So that awesome dude outside who didn't yell at me even though he almost got hit by Jackie is England?"

America turned and gave his fifth son a cross look, though Connecticut wasn't sure whether it was for nearly hitting England or blabbing that the Englishman was at the hotel.

Pennsylvania violently elbowed Delaware, determined to break free. Automatically, New Jersey's attention shifted from Massachusetts to her silver-and-gold-haired sister, which gave her hot-tempered brother a chance to break free without the threat of a second rubber bullet to his shoulder.

America could only gape as pure and utter chaos broke out. He could hear New Jersey shriek in surprise, followed by the sound of her gun going off and then the tinkling of a shattered light bulb. Rhode Island shouted something guttural in anger as he tried to restrain Massachusetts once again.

_**BANG! **_

_**BANG!**_

Two bullets lodged themselves in a wall and the room once again fell silent. Several pairs of wide eyes slowly turned to Connecticut, who looked deadly serious as he slowly lowered his revolver, keeping a well-trained eye on his siblings just in case they tried to start up again.

"I hope you realize," he began, his tone deadly soft. "That unlike Miranda, I use real bullets and I won't hesitate to shoot you if you _dare_ go after dad, or England, or anyone else. Now sit down and talk like the civilized people I know can be when you really try."

"But Eric—"

"Shut up and sit," Connecticut said with no real venom in his voice. When no one made a move to so, he narrowed his eyes. "I will call in the Heartlanders if you don't listen to me. _Sit._"

Delaware was the first to move, cautiously sitting back down in her chair. Rhode Island was next, followed by the increasingly reluctant Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. New Jersey holstered her gun before reclaiming her seat.

"Good," Connecticut said. His good cheer returned as he hid away his gun and walked over to pat their dad on the back. "So what's this about you and England finally hooking up?"

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p>Needless to say, America decided it was better to hold off on them meeting England, at least for a while. (Him actually meeting them will either be part of minor flashbacks or changed to an interlude.)<p>

The Heartlanders = a nickname for Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

P-40 Warhawk - Remember the episode with America's "Kickass fighter plane of doom"? It was a Warhawk.

The book England was re-reading was one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, which is by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, thus the nickname of "Sir Arthur".

**New Jersey** - Miranda Loretta Jones - wavy golden hair, two prominent hair curls, one on each side of her head - blue-gray eyes  
>Capital: Trenton<br>A spitfire of a State who is borderline bipolar thanks to the ethnic diversity of her people. Italian is the largest ethnic group in many of her counties. Everyone's always surprised to find that she's a large producer of blueberries - she loves the things and grows as many as she can in her cramped living space. She's very big on science. On occasion she'll forget to remove her safety goggles and wears them around on her head.  
>The other States have banned her from driving cars. Especially when they're in them.<br>Believes whole-heartedly in the "New Jersey Devil" and various other paranormal things. The magazine "Weird U.S." originated in her as "Weird NJ". Is one of the few who sides with New Mexico when he goes on about aliens. She carries a handgun, but only uses rubber bullets unless she's on police duty or fighting overseas.  
>She has more to worry about than what America is doing with England, as long as he's happy. Were England to screw up and hurt her dad, she'd be among the first to line up to kick his ass.<br>Nickname: The Garden State  
>State Motto: Liberty and Prosperity<br>Joke "State Motto": You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!  
>Interesting note: Farmland in New Jersey = 1 million acres. Roughly 20% of New Jersey's land area is devoted to farming. See, she really is deserving of the nickname "The Garden State".<p>

**The Commonwealth of Massachusetts** - Salem Benjamin Jones - short, light blond hair, Nantucket - green-blue eyes  
>Capital: Boston<br>One of the more hot-headed States, well known for stirring up trouble around the time of the American Revolution. He was known for his temperance, transcendentalist, and abolitionist movements before the Civil War. He's since calmed down slightly and nowadays he only gets violent after drinking. Will happily take Virginia's side when the States begin arguing over magic and the paranormal.  
>One of four States who calls himself a Commonwealth.<br>Throws major Halloween parties.  
>His first name is from one of his towns and his middle name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin.<br>Nickname: The Bay State  
>State Motto: <em>Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem<em> (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)  
>Joke "State Motto": Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)<br>Note: I apologize for the rather negative portrayal of Massachusetts. He was one of the ones I couldn't see being very accepting of America's relationship with England. I can promise that he won't be so volatile when he makes his next appearance.

**Rhode Island and Providence Plantations** - Christopher Roger Jones - somewhat curling dark blond hair - sea-blue eyes  
>Capital: Providence<br>The smallest state with the longest official name. Because of his closeness to water, he's big on water sports (and boat and ship construction) and hates visiting his landlocked brothers and sisters unless they're near a lake. He was the first to leave Britain, but the last to ratify the constitution.  
>He's something of a peacekeeper amongst his siblings on most days, but when called to war he'll fight with everything he's got. He's not one to sit idly by and do nothing.<br>Though not entirely happy about America and England being together, he'll be nothing but supportive as long as his dad's happy.  
>Nickname: The Ocean State<br>State Motto: Hope  
>Joke "State Motto": We're not REALLY an island<br>Interesting Note: Rhode Island was founded by a guy named "Roger Williams" (thus, his middle name). Also, the state tree is a red maple.

**The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania** - Penny Betsy Jones - blonde hair with highlights of silvery-white - sky blue eyes  
>Capital: Harrisburg<br>Sort of the "motherly" state of the North. Well known for supplying snacks at meetings and family get-togethers. Very proud to be the actual "birthplace of America" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Liberty Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed). Many battles of the Revolution and the Civil War were fought on her land and as a result she has many scars. She proudly shows them as proof of her strength. Also home to America's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo. Is home to America's largest indoor waterpark resort on the East Coast, Splash Lagoon.  
>Her silver hair is thanks to King of Prussia, an area in Montgomery Country. It was named for a local tavern called "The King of Prussia Inn", which was named after Friedrich the Great.<br>One of four States who calls herself a Commonwealth.  
>Pennsylvania Dutch has nothing to do with HollandNetherlands/any other Dutch-speaking country, it's German.  
>Nickname: The Keystone State<br>State Motto: Virtue, liberty, and independence  
>Joke "State Motto": Cook With Coal<br>Note: As with Massachusetts, I apologize for her rather negative portrayal. Her rage is more based on how protective she is of America as well as her siblings. Quite possibly she views America dating England as a sort of betrayal.

**Delaware** - Anna Laura Jones - straight blonde hair - sky blue eyes  
>Capital: Dover<br>Has a friendly rivalry with NY, which sometimes steps over the line of being friendly. Typically seen hanging out with VT, Mass, and CT. Typically the first to jump in and defend America - was one of the only Slave States to stay with the Union in the Civil War.  
>Very industrialized. (Chemicals, Manufacturing…) Also grows a variety of fruits and vegetables. Food-canning.<br>Is strangely proud of her "World Champion Pumpkin Chunkin". She's the second-smallest state, with RI as the first. Her economic and industrial development is closely tied to the impact of the Du Pont family.  
>Nickname: The First State<br>State Motto: Liberty and Independence  
>Joke "State Motto": We Really Do Like the Chemicals in Our Water<p>

**Connecticut** - Eric Hale Jones - strawberry blond hair - ocean blue eyes  
>Capital: Hartford<br>Freckles.  
>A generally cheerful state considering he's sometimes referred to as the "Arsenal of the Nation". Has a prominent aircraft industry and is big on manufacturing weapons. Flies all sorts of planes and helicopters in his free time. Loves taking members of his family for rides. Typically is the one who flies America to meetings in foreign countries.<br>The _Hartford Courant_ is the oldest newspaper in the U.S. still being published.  
>Commonly seen fiddling around with toy aircrafts.<br>Nickname: The Constitution State (Also, The Nutmeg State)  
>State Motto: <em>Qui transtulit sustinet<em> (He who transplanted still sustains)  
>Joke "State Motto": Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet<br>Interesting Note: Originally I had only intended for NJ to have a gun. Then I realized CT has a history of supplying weapons, so he got one as well. Oh, his WWII fighter is named for Jackie Cochran, director of Womens Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). He has others named for the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, and many others.

-.-.-

One person on Quizilla accurately guessed the state I'm from! And after several guesses, someone here on fanfiction(dot)net got it right! I'm not from New York, Florida, or Texas. Remember, the state has already been mentioned by the third chapter.


	7. Others Will Follow

**The 11th State**

_6. Others Will Follow_

"Mornin'," America greeted, giving England a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around his love's waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. "Wuzzat? Tea?"

England raised an eyebrow. "What else would it be? I'm not about to drink that sludge you call coffee."

"Coffee's good," America muttered, staring sleepily at England's teacup. "Can I have some?"

"Some of what?" England asked, confused. Surely his boyfriend wasn't asking for him to make coffee for him. That had been nothing short of disaster the last time he tried. But it was even less likely that the younger Nation was asking to have tea. (Unless, as England had discovered weeks before when they were in the Deep South, it was sweet iced tea.)

America sleepily mumbled something into England's neck, his head lolling as his eyes began to close.

England rolled his eyes. He'd told his boyfriend not to stay up all night playing those ridiculous video games with Japan, but he didn't listen. Being too sleepy to do anything but stand around in a daze was purely his fault and England was not going to help him.

He sighed and turned around, carefully unwrapping America's arms and trying to keep the younger Nation steady. "Let's get you to bed."

Okay, so maybe England would help him a little.

But only a little.

Not for the first time, England cursed the fact that America's house was so large. Why couldn't they have gone to the apartment he owned in the north? At least then he wouldn't have to drag him through a maze of hallways and up the stairs to the master bedroom.

_Although… _The shorter blond paused at the foot of the stairs to catch his breath and get a better hold on America. _I supposed I should be honored that it's lasted so long; that he loves staying here and showing it off._ He smiled fondly and reached out to grasp the banister, feeling the smooth wood beneath his fingers. _The house I built for him, all those years ago…_

He ignored the loud footsteps on the front steps, figuring it was just a mailman or that guy in one of the big brown trucks coming by to drop off a package. America had mentioned that he was waiting on a delivery. Taking a deep breath, he decided he was ready to start up the stairs.

The front door swung open and in marched two very tan teenage boys, glaring daggers at each other as they bickered about oil and drills and cars and oil and gas mileage and oil.

"At least I produce more than just oil!" Proclaimed the one with darker hair.

"Oh yeah? And what else you got?" Asked the other with a sneer.

England blinked in surprise as they walked right past him, continuing their argument.

"Natural gas and agriculture! So tell me, Lone Star, what else do you have going for you? Desert? Cattle? _Cowboys?"_

"Fuck you, Okla. At least I don't have the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in my capital city!"

"Well you should! It would suit you!"

The last thing England heard was one of them hissing something in what sounded like Spanish before he decided his first priority was to get America upstairs and tucked into bed so he could sleep for a few hours. Only once he was done with that would he go see who had just invaded the house. He figured it was safe to assume they were States. Actually, he knew for sure that one of them was a State, since he was confident that the one with glasses was Texas, who he'd met back at the beginning of June.

"I wish you'd wake up," England muttered to a snoozing America after the fourth step. "Or stop eating so many blasted hamburgers. They're unhealthy and add unnecessary weight to your body. And those milkshakes and cola are just as bad! Honestly, America…!"

America merely mumbled something in his sleep and tried to cuddle closer to England, making the older Nation stumble.

Several minutes later, England finally made it to the bedroom without dropping his lover along the way. He shoved America onto the bed, not at all surprised when the young man didn't wake up, and pulled over half of the blanket to cover him. He decided that he'd done a good enough job and left, but not before quickly kissing America on the forehead.

He slowly walked back to the kitchen. After the last time America had dragged him away from home to meet some of his States, only to change his mind shortly after, he wasn't sure how he felt about meeting two who Alfred hadn't even mentioned coming over. Though his accidental meetings of New York and Connecticut (though he hadn't realized at the time that Eric Hale was actually Eric Hale Jones, the state of Connecticut) had gone pretty well, who knew if his luck would continue.

_You are England,_ he reminded himself. _Not only that, you are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. You can handle a few teenagers on your own. Besides, Texas was perfectly nice the last time you met him_.

He really hoped it was Texas.

England cautiously peered into the kitchen and watched them for a few minutes. The boys had gathered around the stove with a multitude of ingredients. Bacon and sausage links sizzled away in a pan. A cartoon of eggs sat nearby another pan, ready to be cracked open and cooked.

"Nothin' like a hearty Texas breakfast!" Bragged the boy with glasses.

The other one rolled his eyes. "I'd call it a typical Southern breakfast."

England cleared his throat, announcing his presence before they could continue with their argument. "Ah, hello." He faltered for a brief moment when they both turned to look at him with surprise evident on their faces. Reminding himself that he was a strong Nation and didn't need to be afraid of a pair of States, he walked confidently into the kitchen. "I'm starting to think you Yanks have absolutely no manners. First you barge in the front door without even knocking and then you walk straight past America and myself without so much as a 'hello'. Now I find you standing around in his kitchen cooking and arguing."

"Howdy, England," greeted the one with glasses. "Sorry we didn't see you back there. This here's Oklahoma."

"Robert Jones," he introduced, eyeing the British man with a small frown. "So you're dad's… _friend_."

"Oh, get over it," snapped Texas. "The rest of us have. And if I can deal with it, you can." He grumbled, turning back to the food.

England walked over to pick up his cup of tea, which was on the counter next to Texas. "It's nice to see you again, Texas. I never got to thank you for helping me out before."

Texas smiled as he flipped over the eggs. "It weren't a problem, sir. Just doin' what any gentleman should. So, I hear you got to meet Miss Virginia. Whaddija think of her? An' keep in mind, this is my big sis we're talkin' 'bout. Don't wanna hear nothin' bad on her."

"Er, right. She seemed…" England hesitated a moment. "Odd, I'll admit. Though I wasn't around her for long before America dragged me away. That was right around the time New York's people legalized same-sex marriage."

Texas laughed heartily.

Oklahoma scowled.

"Glad I wasn' there for that! That chica is bad enough on a regular day," said Texas.

"California complained about it for a week," Oklahoma spoke up. "I stopped talking ta him 'cause he wouldn't shut up." He stared at England for a long moment before sighing heavily. "I suppose you're not so bad. Out of everyone dad could've chosen, I'm glad it's you. I guess."

Texas grinned and nudged England. "That's his way of sayin' he likes ya."

"Shut up! It is not!"

Texas ignored his brother and went back to cooking. "So, who wants breakfast? England? Okla? Calif?"

'_Calif?'_ England thought, bewildered. _'But it's just the three of us, right?'_ He turned around to check the rest of the room and found another teen leaning casually in the doorway of the kitchen. He wasn't surprised. He felt he was becoming numb to the Americans and their habit of appearing suddenly.

"So… you're California?" England asked, taking in the boy's appearance. A weary look appeared on his face as California narrowed his green eyes and began to slowly walk over to him. "You look like Spain…"

Once he reached England, the State beamed and exuberantly shook his hand. "I totally get that a lot! So does Florida. So you, like, must be England!"

Texas rolled his eyes and Oklahoma coughed to hide a chuckle.

"Been spendin' time in the Valley again?" Texas asked.

"Yeah! How'd you know?" California asked, leaning over to peer at the food. "That totally looks delicious. Too bad I'm watching my weight."

"Yer a bigger gal than our sisters," Texas said. As an afterthought he added: "And Missouri as well."

California's eyes lit up. "How is our dear Mother of the West? I haven't talked to him for a while. He still pissed about incorrectly predicting who would be president?"

"He was gettin' there. Then he referred to Kansas as Dorothy so Kan decided to be a dick and bring it up," Oklahoma said with a shrug. "I got a more important question. Who wants to start the countdown?"

"Oooo! Me! Me! I do!" California cheered.

"Countdown?" England asked. "Countdown to what?"

Texas grinned at him. "You'll see."

"Ten!" California began.

"Nine," said Oklahoma.

England retreated to the kitchen table to drink he tea and try and figure out why they were counting down. If it was a countdown until America would come downstairs in search of food, they were out of luck. He doubted anything could rouse his boyfriend.

"_Cinco_~!" California sang.

"Speak English," Oklahoma said with no real bite in his voice. "Four."

"_Tres_," Texas said with a laugh, just to spite their younger brother.

England took a sip of tea and frowned at how cold it had gotten. He would have to make another cup once Texas was done cooking.

"_Uno_!"

Silence.

"Huh," Oklahoma scratched his head and looked around. "That's odd. Where is she?"

England raised an eyebrow. "Would one of you care to explain what that was all about?"

"She did say she was spending time with the territories today," California said with a shrug, ignoring England's question. "I guess she's, like, still over there. You know how those three get when they're together."

"As long as she's not with that damn Cuba again," Texas said, cracking an egg a little too hard. "I'd like to punch his face in."

Movement by the door caught England's attention. For a brief moment he thought he was looking at a female version of Spain, but he quickly reminded himself that it wasn't possible. Besides, why would Spain be carrying around a rather large black cat?

"Could you not say mean things about my friends?" She asked. "And anyway, I can take care of myself! I don't need any of you to protect me! I've got Bagheera if I ever need help."

"_Sí_," spoke the cat.

Pleased with the answer, the girl ignored the States in favor of looking curiously at England. "Hmm…? Who are you?"

"I'm England," he said. "Nice to meet you, miss…?"

"Florida!" She replied happily. "You can call me Esperanza if you'd like. Oh, and Diego," she turned her attention right back to her brothers, no longer interested in the European country. "I thought you'd like to know that your ban from Disney World has expired. Can you not get banned again? I'd hate to have to explain it to dad and the others. Though it might be worth it to watch D.C. struggle to comprehend how you managed something like that for a second time."

As the States continued talking amongst themselves, England abandoned his tea and left the room, decided he had no desire to sit there and listen to them. He walked back upstairs to the master bedroom and quietly opened the door to peer inside. He smiled when he saw that America had kicked off his blankets and was shivering slightly. He stepped inside and softly shut the door before walking over to the bed. He watched his boyfriend for a moment before crawling into bed next to him and curling up at his side. America breathed a sigh of content and snuggled closer to the newfound warmth, flinging one arm over England's waist.

England chuckled and kissed America on the cheek. "If you'd come to bed last night then neither of us would be so tired," he whispered.

Why was it that he could only speak his feelings when the younger Nation was asleep? Better yet, when had it gotten to the point that he had difficulty sleeping without the other blond next to him?

"Mmmm… Eng…land… Love ya…"

The Briton blushed, despite knowing the American was only talking in his sleep. However, it was because he knew his love was asleep that he could unfalteringly say his next few words without worry. "I love you, America."

America smiled in his sleep.

Bonus Scene

Four pairs of eyes peered through a crack in the door; two brown and two green. Florida was trying to keep from giggling as she snapped pictures with her brand new camera. California looked as though he was barely restraining his glee. Oklahoma and Texas, though okay with the fact that there dad was dating another man, had identical expressions on their faces which clearly told that they would rather not be there.

"They're so cute~" Florida said gleefully. "Oh, the Virgin Islands are going to love this! Especially Catharina. She's been dying for something like this."

"This ain't right," Oklahoma muttered. "Why are you taking pictures of 'em?"

"Shush," Florida said, smacking his arm. "They're cute together! Aaron, you agree with me, right?"

"Totally," California replied. "You've got to give me copies. It'll make a fantastic scrapbook."

"Only if I can see it when you're done." Florida snapped a few more pictures before she was content to back away. "Let's leave them be. I think they deserve a day alone. Robert, can you send a message to everyone else telling them to give dad a day alone?"

"If ya swear ta never show me one of them pictures then I'll do it," replied Oklahoma.

Florida giggled, making a mental note to plaster the pictures all over his office the next time he did something to annoy her.

-.-.-

End Chapter

-.-.-

**Texas** - Diego Jones - straight, dark brown hair - brown eyes, glasses

Capital: Austin

Absolutely refuses to dress like a cowboy in public. He leaves that up to Kentucky.

A southern gentleman who lives on and operates a ranch. He's an outdoors type of guy who's unafraid to pick up a rattlesnake or any other poisonous wildlife. (Which makes him Australia's favorite nephew.) He and New Mexico can often be found trying to keep America and Mexico from fighting. They're also fond of fireworks. He speaks with a heavy southern drawl.

Part of the Bible Belt.

Currently arguing with Wyoming and Oklahoma over oil.

Nickname: The Lone Star State

State Motto: Friendship

Joke "State Motto": Si, Hablo Ingles (Yes, I Speak English)

**Oklahoma** - Robert Jones - dark brown hair - light brown eyes

Capital: Oklahoma City

He's a major producer of natural gas, oil, and agriculture. It's not uncommon to find him bickering with Texas and Wyoming about oil. He's also home to many Native Americans.

He's a rather conservative state and is part of the Bible Belt.

He's considered one of the most business-friendly states. He's also very big in the arts and has several prominent threate companies.

Part of the Bible Belt.

His companion is a small American Bison.

His siblings tend to make fun of him for his floral emblem being mistletoe.

Nickname: The Sooner State

State Motto: _Labor omnia vincit_ (Labor conquers all things)

Joke "State Motto": Like The Play, Only No Singing

Interesting note: There really is a National Cowboy Hall of Fame and it's in Oklahoma City.

**California** - Aaron Jones - curly brown hair - green eyes

Capital: Sacramento

The "Golden State" who once belonged to Spain until it became part of Mexico. He was a short-lived Republic as well. He's very diverse, sometimes seeming to have a split personality because of how different the northern and southern parts of his state are.

Only a little over half of his people speak English as a first language. Around 28% speak Spanish, and the rest speak one of the Asian languages. (Filipino, Chinese [Catonese and Mandarin], Vietnamese, Korean.)

He's accepting of just about anything and is surprisingly laid back.

Best known in history for the California Gold Rush.

He loves movies. Most of his gifts to America and the other states are movies. His dream is to star in one, though he knows that it's not possible. He makes fun of New York for her Broadway on occasion.

Nickname: The Golden State

State Motto: Eureka (I have found it)

Joke "State Motto": By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda

**Florida** - Esperanza Jones - long, curly brown hair - hazel green eyes

Capital: Tallahassee

A surprisingly relaxed State but bubbly at the same time. She's very proud of her Spanish roots. She is also home to the Everglades. She is a major tourist attraction and it makes up a large portion of her economy. She's constantly battered by severe storms and hurricanes, but doesn't let it get her down too much. She always bounces back.

Though she seems peaceful, she can be incredibly tough. She's ranked the fifth most dangerous state.

Her companion is the Florida panther, which is coming close to extinction.

Nickname: The Sunshine State

State Motto: In God we trust

Joke "State Motto": Ask Us About Our Grandkids

Interesting note: Her animal companion is a panther, which she named Bagheera after a character in the 1994 Disney film, The Jungle Book. Actually, he should really be more of a tan color rather than black, but the word "panther" always makes me think of black panthers, which are really black leopards and not at all like cougars/pumas/mountain lions, which are what Florida panthers are.

A brief note on **Missouri** -

The States mention two things about him. The first being his nickname "Mother of the West" which comes from the fact that trails to the west began in several of his towns. The other is him inacurately predicting the next president. According to wikipedia, Missouri's results in Presidential elections have accurately predicted the next President since 1904 except for two occassions: 1956 and 2008.

-.-.-

I think I mentioned to a reviewer that I wanted to include a little more EnglandxAmerica in this and I think I finally succeeded with this chapter. It helps that I can't imagine the Spanish states (and Oklahoma) being very interested in England aside from "Oh, hello, nice to meet you" or "so you're dad's boyfriend".

The territories that Florida spends time with are Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (and occassionally the British Virgin Islands). Catharina represents the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her twin brother is the British Virgin Islands. (I don't have a name for him or Puerto Rico yet, but I will by the time I officially introduce them.)

**Next time**: Northwest

**ALSO**

I've also got a poll up on my profile right now. Since we now have official artwork for Romania, I wanted to include him in a story. I just need to figure out his human name. So that's what the poll is for!

In addition, I've got a link on my profile leading to a preview of my next multichapter story, just in case you're interested in seeing what's to come.


	8. Northwest

**The 11th State**

_7. Northwest_

"Remind me again why we're on the other side of your country," England said as he got into the passenger's side of the rental car. He and America had finally landed after an hour delay and then spent a half hour gathering what little luggage they brought with them before they were finally able to leave the airport and get in the car waiting for them.

"Because it's not fair to make them travel all the way out to visit us," America replied. "We've spent so much time on the east coast I figured it was time for a change of pace. And anyway, it's getting close to Idaho's birthday and I promised him I'd visit. I mean, we'll see him in a few days when we all meet up at, umm, I think it's Quebec's house this year, for Canada's birthday. After that it'll be Michigan's house for mine. Then there's a two week break and we meet up to celebrate the rest of the July birthdays. It's kind of a weird system, but it's how we've always done it." He glanced at England as he pulled out onto the road. "Do you want to go?"

England was silent for a moment, thinking it over. He'd been away from his home for over a month, except for when he returned for a day or two for work. What was another weekend? He could always go home after America's birthday and take care of work-related things.

Still, the thought of taking part in America's Independence Day made his heart ache.

"Think about it for a while," America said before England could say anything. "So, I guess I should tell you 'bout who you'll be meeting."

"That would be nice. So long as you keep your eyes on the road," said England.

America laughed. "Yeah, I'll do that. Anyway, we'll be staying with Washington. I'm gonna warn you right now, don't let him get behind the wheel of a car. Also, he loves coffee, so don't be surprised if he spends every meal glaring at your tea."

England wondered if his boyfriend was serious.

"Oregon'll be there too. He's kind of a hippie, even if he's always picking fights with Washington. He's also a coffee lover. It's the one thing him and Washington agree on," America continued. "Then there's Idaho. He likes potatoes." He didn't elaborate any more. "I think Nevada and Montana are also going to drop by. Nevada's kind of a wild card. He'll either be in the mood for gambling or discussing aliens. And if Montana drops by and you see a grizzly bear out in the yard, don't be too alarmed. That thing follows him around like an overgrown puppy. It also raids his garbage on a daily basis."

Deciding that America was indeed serious, England began forming questions to ask until they arrived at Washington's house. "So Nevada believes in those aliens of yours?"

"Yup!" America replied cheerfully. "Him and New Mexico! Tony loves spending time with them, especially lately. Heh, you two really don't get along!" He flashed a grin at England before returning his eyes to the road.

"I've done nothing to deserve such treatment from your friend," England grumbled.

America playfully nudged him. "You saying you don't believe in aliens probably has something to do with that, babe."

England scowled. "Don't call me that."

"Sure thing, sweetie," America said cheekily.

England gave him a cross look and folded his arms over his chest, but said nothing.

* * *

><p>They drove for nearly an hour before finally pulling into a long, gravel and dirt driveway lined by trees, mostly conifers, on either side. England gazed out the window in awe, peering through the trees as their car bumped down the road. After five minutes, they rounded a corner and a log house was revealed. On the roof was a large satellite dish.<p>

Standing out front were two teenaged boys with brown hair. The one with short hair was holding some sort of electronic device and frowning as he pushed his thick-framed glasses further back up on his nose. The other one, with long brown hair and loose-fitting clothes, smirked and prodded the device, saying something that had the first teen give him a cross look.

"I guess Jesse beat us here," America murmured as he parked the car. He opened the door and stepped out before England had a chance to unbuckle himself and was striking up a conversation with the boys when England was getting out of the car.

"England!" America beamed at his boyfriend as he approached. "This is Oregon," he gestured to the boy with longer hair. "And Washington!" He pointed to the one with the odd electronic device.

"Nice to meet you, man," Oregon said in his slow drawl. "I heard from Aaron that dad's finally introducing you to the family. It took him long enough." He grinned at America, who was too busy prodding at Washington and wasn't paying attention.

"Aaron?" England murmured, trying to remember who that was.

"California," Oregon informed him. "Sorry, I thought they'd told you their human names too. Guess they're getting a bit forgetful. I'm Jesse, by the way. Jesse Jones." He shook England's hand with a surprisingly firm grip.

"Nice to meet you," England said.

Oregon said nothing, standing still as stone as he stared at something just beyond England's shoulders. "Don't move," he whispered. "Don't freak out, but there's a ghost right behind you."

England raised an eyebrow.

America stopped mid-sentence, somehow picking up on the word 'ghost' and going straight into a panic. He screamed, girlishly high-pitched, and leapt onto Washington, who was forced to drop his new invention in order to keep his dad from landing on the stone sidewalk.

"Damn it, Jesse!" He groused as America knocked his glasses askew. "You just _had _to say the 'G' word, didn't you?"

"There really is one," Oregon said, not sounding sorry at all. In fact, he looked rather smug. "Actually, I think it's that cool Indian - sorry, _Native American _- ghost that keeps hiding your keys."

"G-g-g-g-g-ghost!" America screeched, somehow climbing higher on poor Washington.

Washington narrowed his periwinkle eyes into a glare, which he, naturally, directed to Oregon. "I fucking hate you."

* * *

><p>A half hour later, they had managed to get America calm enough that he wasn't shrieking at every sound or movement. The only problem was, in order to keep him that way, England had to sacrifice his dignity and allow him to sit in his lap. America claimed it was the best was to protect England from the ghosts, though how he could do so with his face buried into England's neck was anyone's guess.<p>

Washington chuckled as he walked into the room carrying a tray of drinks. Two of them were mugs full of some sort of steaming liquid and the other two were glass bottles.

Oregon, who was sitting next to the two Nations on the couch, looked up at his younger brother. "That coffee for me?"

Washington wordlessly held out the smaller of the two mugs.

"Groovy," Oregon said, grinning as he accepted the drink. "You're not going to stay mad forever, are you? Let it go, man."

"Shut up, hippie. It's your fault I have to start all over on my project! I was in the midst of a breakthrough!" Washington said, sliding his glasses back up on his nose.

Oregon brought the mug to his lips to hide his smile. "You've been 'in the midst of breakthrough' for three months."

For once Washington controlled himself and didn't rise to take the bait. He took a deep breath and turned to his dad and England, offering them the glass bottles. "Dad, I brought soda."

America turned his head, uncovering his face but making no move to let go of England. "Jones Soda?" He asked in a tiny voice.

"Yeah," Washington said. "You can let go of England now. I asked the ghosts to stay outside while you're here. And even if they ignore me and come inside, they're not going to hurt you. The worst they do is hide my keys and remotes."

"One of the kids stole his glasses one time," Oregon spoke up, his blue eyes glittering with amusement. "It was the funniest thing ever. Kind of like when Velma from Scooby Doo looses her glasses and has to feel along the floor for them."

America chuckled weakly and accepted the soda's, handing one to England, who raised an eyebrow at the name of the drink.

"I had nothing to do with naming it," Washington said as he sat down on the recliner and took a gulp of his coffee. He sighed in relief and slumped back into the cushiony chair. His eyes landed on his busted up invention and his mood sank. "Can't believe it… a half year's work destroyed…"

Oregon rolled his eyes. "Careful, Kurt, or you'll attract your own personal rain cloud."

Washington scowled. "I don't get that much rain!"

America began to relax, loosening his grip on England. He remained snugly on his lap, too comfortable to move and for once, even though they were around other people, England found that he didn't mind. They sipped their drinks in relative silence, listening to the two states bicker back and forth.

"Are they always like this?" England whispered.

America nodded. "Ever since Oregon found Washington roaming the woods." He chuckled. "Hard to believe they've been arguing since then. Of course, it was more over silly things back then. Now it's… Okay, so it's still silly things."

The front door creaked open and then slammed shut. Footsteps pounded down the hall and then a teen with wild, pale blond hair and excited violet eyes skidded into the room. "Dad!" He shouted gleefully.

Oregon swiftly moved off the couch, knowing what was coming next. He got away just as the new boy sprinted towards them and made a flying leap onto the furniture. Washington frowned at the abuse towards his couch. America smiled and welcomed the hug from one of his youngest sons.

"Nice to see you too, Idaho."

The teen pulled back, noticing England for the first time. His cheer didn't fade as he examined the Nation his dad was sitting on, if anything he seemed happier. "Hi there! Skylar Jones, the state of Idaho, at your service!"

"I'm England."

"I know," replied Idaho, his grin growing wider. "You look like Lizzy and Mike. Everyone says Lizzy looks like you, but I think her and Mike look alike so that means he looks like you too! And look! I'm right!" He reached over and patted England's cheek with a giggle before hopping off the couch. "Where's 'Rique and Flore? I'm starving! Oh, I brought potatoes! I'll go get them!"

And then he was gone.

"Don't give Idaho any more coffee," America told his two remaining kids. "Or anything with caffeine or sugar."

England cleared his throat, wanting to ask a few questions before Idaho returned. "Who was he talking about? I know 'Lizzy' is Elizabeth, but I haven't heard you mention any of the others."

"Mike is Michael," Oregon piped up. "He's, umm… that one state with the cheese and the cows and the Polish people."

There was a moment of silence, during which Washington gave his brother a cross look which could have been interpreted as "how are you _older_ than me?"

"He's Wisconsin," America said, sounding amused. "Flore is Florence, or Montana, and 'Rique is short for Enrique. He's Nevada." He turned to Washington. "Are they coming or are you still not sure?"

"Nevada's coming and he's bringing some tiny slot machine he bought. I haven't heard from Montana since he butt-dialed me up three hours ago while yelling at that bear of his," Washington said.

America laughed. "He's been doing that a lot lately. I caught D.C. lecturing him about not keeping it in his back pocket, but it doesn't look like he's listening. You think I can get California to tell that story about that thing that happened two years ago?"

To England's surprise, the question got a chuckle out of the so-far no-nonsense Washington but just an amused grin from cheery Oregon. He didn't comment. Instead, he sat back to watch the three interact.

It was interesting, how different America treated his states compared to Canada and his provinces. With America, they seemed almost like younger brothers and sisters. They were so at ease around him and not afraid to raise their voices or scold him or act out around him. And from what England had seen and heard, America let them act that way, leaving most of the discipline to D.C. and the older States. He'd seen New Hampshire steer New York away to take care of business. He'd seen Virginia stop New Hampshire from talking with little more than two words. As much as Washington seemed bothered by Oregon, there was still a level of respect he had for the other State, despite the amount of cross words that flowed from his mouth. And America himself had mentioned leaving State matters to D.C.

Canada, on the other hand, was less of a sibling and more of a father figure. As far as England could figure, Ontario was the one left in charge when Canada wasn't around, though very few of the provinces seemed to actually listen to him. It was only when Canada returned home that the Provinces and Territories (with the exception of Quebec, who became worse, if at all possible) calmed down.

"Look who I found~!" Idaho announced, carrying in not only a burlap sack of potatoes but a flailing person in a purple sequined vest.

"Put me down, you crazy-ass potato farmer! Dad! Help!"

"Skylar, why are you carrying Enrique?" America asked, trying his very best not to laugh at the sight the two made.

Oregon slapped a hand over his mouth, shaking from the exertion of trying not to laugh. He slowly sat down on the arm of Washington's chair, though having his younger brother chuckling next to him didn't help matters.

Idaho grinned, not seeming to mind how Nevada was kicking and wriggling and making it very difficult to keep a hold on him. "Well I went out to my truck to pick up my potatoes, and lo and behold I find 'Rique standing out by his new car, chatting away on his cell! I figured he was lost or something and decided to help him find his way inside."

Nevada began shouting in Spanish.

At long last, America changed positions on England's lap, unwrapping his arms from around the island nation's neck and sitting up straight. "I think he might want to be put down."

Idaho listened to his brother shout for a few minutes, trying to make out what he was saying. He shrugged. "I don't speak Spanish. It just sounds like gibberish to me."

"Put him down, Sky," Oregon managed to say before finally bursting into laughter and falling sideways onto Washington, who shoved him off the chair and onto the floor.

Idaho nonchalantly dropped Nevada on the ground, eliciting a string of curses from his older brother. "I'm gonna start cooking! What do you guys want? Fresh fries? Potato soup? Baked potato? How about I surprise you? Surprise it is!" He waltzed away before anyone could say a word.

Nevada stood up, brushing off his pants and straightening his sequined vest. Thanks to his short-sleeved shirt, strangely patterned scars on his arms were completely visible. His straight brown hair curled out slightly at his ears, which were each adorned with three earrings. "Thanks for the help, dad," he muttered sarcastically.

"No problem, Enrique!" America replied cheerfully.

Nevada rolled his honey brown eyes. "I'm going out for my slot machine. If Montana shows up while I'm out there, I'll make sure he leaves his bear outside."

Washington collected himself, his chuckling dying away. He nodded his thanks and stood, stepping over Oregon with ease. "I'll help you. I need to step out for some air anyway."

The two left quickly and quietly while Oregon picked himself up off the floor and claimed the seat Washington had vacated. He happily settled back against the comfortable chair and looked at America and England with a strange little smile on his face.

"So you're finally together, eh? It only took you, what, seventy years or so?" Oregon remarked.

"I think it's more like sixty," America corrected him.

England raised an eyebrow. _'Sixty. __**Sixty**__ years? But that was… Has America really liked me for that long?'_ A tiny voice in his mind, which sounded a disturbing amount like France, whispered that he'd liked America for just as long.

"Okay, I _have_ to know," Oregon began. "Who asked who out? And when did it happen? Ooo! _Where_ did it happen?"

America thought for a moment. "Well, we were in Paris…"

"Paris!" Oregon lifted his hand to his forehead in a mock swoon. "How romantic!"

"Please stop acting like California and Florida. It's creepy," America said.

Oregon chuckled. "Sorry. Please continue. Unless this ends with you two drunk at a bar. Or leaving a bar drunk. You weren't drunk, right?"

America grinned sheepishly and England looked away with a faint blush. Oregon gaped at them in disbelief.

"Dad! And after all the talks you had with me about not participating in drunken orgies, you go and…and… do drunken stuff with England? What gives, dude?"

"It's not as bad as you think!" America said defensively. "Nothing happened! We just got drunk and started talking and there might have been some yelling and fighting involved and France hit on the bartender's sister _and_ brother and we all got kicked out. Me and England hailed a cab to get back to the hotel and we talked along the way and… um… Okay, a few things happened. In the cab. Some kissing. And touching. But that was all!"

Oregon snorted in amusement and got up. "Great story, dad. I'd do some revising before telling that to anyone else if I were you. I'm going to check on Nevada and Washington."

"Kay," America said. "We'll be here. Talking."

"And not doing anything else?" Oregon added jokingly.

America gave his son a thumbs up. "You got it." He at least had the decency to wait until the teen was out of the room before he turned to England with a mischievous grin. He affectionately looped his arms around England's neck. "Hey, babe. Whaddya say we go make out in Washington's room while he and the rest of the kids are busy?"

England felt his cheeks burn at the question. "W-what? No! Don't be absurd!"

America's grin grew wider as he leaned a little closer to his boyfriend. "So you'd rather do it here?"

"Ameri-mmmph!"

America kept the kiss brief, pulling back the moment he felt England begin to respond. "Not on the couch, huh?" He asked teasingly.

"Shut up and kiss me properly," England said, grabbing onto his boyfriend's shirt and yanking him back to his lips. Propriety be damned.

* * *

><p>Montana was used to dealing with odd things when it came to his family. With neighbors like Idaho, Wyoming, and the Dakota twins, one had to be. Which was why, when he walked into Washington's house to find his dad making out with some strange man on the couch, he wasn't very bothered by it. He didn't even question why Oregon seemed so amused by the sight.<p>

He turned to Washington, who he knew he could rely on for straight answers. "So who's that?"

"England," Washington replied promptly. "They're dating."

"I'd hope so, with the way they're going at it," Montana said, sticking his hands in the pockets of his dirty overalls. He quickly grew tired of watching them and loudly cleared his throat to get their attention.

England pulled back from America and the moment he saw the four States standing there, he scrambled off of his boyfriend to sit properly on the couch and straighten his clothes. America huffed in disappointment and sat up. His displeasure faded the moment he saw Montana. He jumped up from the couch and rushed over to his fourty-first state to give him a bone-crushing hug, which Montana was happy to reciprocate.

"How goes the mining?" America asked. "Find anything good?"

Montana shrugged. "A few things, but not much lately. I've been more focused on farming and keeping up with Glacier National Park and Yellowstone."

"Awesome," America said, reaching up to ruffle his son's wavy blond hair. "Oh yeah, you haven't met England yet!" He steered Montana a little closer to the couch and then left him in order to sit down beside England, who frowned at him. "England, I'd like you to meet Florence Jones, the state of Montana!"

England nodded, trying to be as calm as he could though all he wanted to do was go curl up in a dark corner somewhere for letting himself act like some hormonal teenager with his first love. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to finally meet the infamous England," Montana replied politely. "You have no idea h-" He paused, narrowing his dark blue eyes into a glare. "_MILES! GET OUT OF KURT'S GARBAGE THIS INSTANT!"_ He roared, storming past everyone to the window, which he shoved open so hard the panes rattled. "Miles! I see you there! Get out! Damn it…!" He jumped out the window and ran across the yard to where a Grizzly bear was rummaging through a few garbage cans in search of food.

Idaho chose that moment to reappear, half-peeled potato and peeler in hand. "That's odd, I thought I heard Flore's dulcet tones. Or was that just my imagination?"

"It wasn't," Nevada told him.

"He jumped out the window again, didn't he?" Idaho asked in a knowing voice.

"Yup," Oregon and America said in unison.

"Oh." Idaho was silent for a very brief moment. "Well, food's about done. Come on into the kitchen and get some~!" He happily turned around and skipped off back to the kitchen.

Washington followed after him, worried for the state of his kitchen. Oregon quickly gave chase. Nevada brought up the rear, grumbling about how he would wring Idaho's neck if "dinner" was simply raw potatoes again.

"America," England said after a moment of them being alone for a second time. The silence was broken briefly by Montana shouting at his bear as he chased it around the yard. "Your children are bizarre."

"I know," America replied, kissing England on the cheek.

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Oregon<strong> - Jesse Jones - longish brown hair - blue eyes  
>Capital: Salem<br>Finds it amusing that he's supposedly a drug-using hippi with lots of forests. He finds the Oregon Trail jokes less than amusing (despite having an Oregon Trail museum). He feels that it is not a period of time that should be made fun of. He has a pretty good sense of humor and knows to laugh it off when people mispronounce his name. Has a bunch of "ORYGUN" stickers, which he plasters on stuff (and his siblings, particularly Washington) randomly.  
>He and Washington are always arguing and seem to have rather poor ideas of one another. He sticks by his claim that Washington is a horrible driver. Despite their arguments, they have a lot in common, such as their love of coffee.<br>He is a firm believer in ghosts and the paranormal and loves throwing kick-ass Halloween parties for his west-coast siblings. (Which is, oddly enough, normal a joint-effort with Washington.)  
>Nickname: The Beaver State<br>State Motto: _Alis volat Propriis_ (She flies with her own wings)  
>Joke "State Motto": Spotted Owl. It's What's For Dinner<p>

**Washington** - Kurt Jones - neatly cut, light brown hair - light purple eyes, glasses  
>Capital: Olympia<br>The only state named after a president.  
>He and Oregon argue a bit and have rather poor views of one another, but despite that they have much in common. Washington isn't quite as relaxed about the jokes made about him, though he personifies many of them beautifully. He loves coffee and it isn't uncommon to find him hanging out in a coffee shop messing around on his computer when he has free time. He's just as bad of a driver as Oregon thinks.<br>He is the home of Mount St. Helens, the only actively erupting Washington volcano. (All of them are considered active.) Also home to Mt. Rainier, which is considered the most dangerous volcano in the continental U.S.  
>Has deep forests on one end and semi-desert on the other end. The mountains are covered with glacial ice.<br>His biggest businesses are design and manufacture or aircrafts, computer software (Microsoft), telecom, and much more. (Starbucks, Amazon, Jones Sodas [lol])  
>Nickname: The Evergreen State<br>State Motto: Al-Ki (Indian word meaning "by and by")  
>Joke "State Motto": Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers!<p>

**Idaho** - Skylar Jones - pale blond, somewhat wavy hair - violet eyes  
>Capital: Boise<br>Pleased to be the state with a birthday closest to America's.  
>A mostly mountainous state. Many gemstones have been found there. It's one of two places where star garnets can be found and the only place six-pointed star garnets have been found. His major crop is potatoes. Food processing and lumber are important industries.<br>He has his own farm, where he grows mainly potatoes but also some wheat. During winter, when he has free time, he goes snowmobiling. He finds science and techonology to be very important. (Which is what he does during winter months or when not tending his crops.)  
>Has many state parks and beautiful mountain scenery.<br>(How he ended up being so hyperactive when these are my character notes, I have no idea.)  
>Nickname: The Gem State<br>State Motto: _Esto perpetua_ (It is forever)  
>Joke "State Motto": More Than Just Potatoes. Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good<p>

**Nevada** - Enrique Jones - straight brown hair - honey brown eyes  
>Capital: Carson City<br>A rather flashy state known for Las Vegas, gambling, massive hotels, and prostitution. Also has to correct people on the pronunciation of his name. ("add-a" not "ought a"). Much of his land comprises of desert. He was named for the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was once claimed by Spain as a part of Alta California, but then was won by Mexico.  
>He offered up his land as a test site for nuclear testing and bears scars for it.<br>He was once a mining state.  
>Idaho really bothers him, so he tends to be rather grumpy when forced to spend time with his most hyperactive younger brother.<br>- Area 51  
>Nickname(s): Sagebrush State ; Silvert State ; Battle Born State<br>State Motto: All for Our Country  
>Joke "State Motto": Whores and Poker!<p>

**Montana** - Florence Jones - longish, wavy blond hair - dark blue eyes  
>Capital: Helena<br>Despite his rather feminine name and appearance, he is very big on ranching, farming, and mining, as well as lumber. He is home to Glacier National Park, the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn, and has three of five entrances to Yellowstone National Park. He is the fourth-largest state. He also have seven Native American reservations.  
>Is a big producer of wheat.<br>Another state with many German and Scandinavian settlers.  
>He has a Grizzly Bear (named Miles, possibly representing Miles City) who lives in his backyard and occasionally raids his garbage (but other than that they get along well. The bear tends to follow him around like an overgrown puppy.)<br>Nickname: The Treasure State  
>State Motto: Oro y plata (Gold and Silver)<br>Joke "State Motto": Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-Wing Crazies, And Very Little Else  
>Interesting note: State motto = Spanish ; State name = from the Spanish word meaning "mountain". Explored by (and purchased from) = the French. ... Huh. Something doesn't seem quite right, does it?<p>

-.-.-.

I don't know how Idaho ended up being so hyperactive. Actually, Nevada was supposed to be the hyperactive one, but he ended up being more grumpy. (Then, who wouldn't be annoyed after being tossed over their younger brother's shoulder and lugged around?) The others went as I imagined them when typing up profiles.

And look, no raincloud! (Aside from a brief mention.) I like the idea of Washington as a nerd better than some depressed emo kid in a coffee shop.

Also, if you want to keep guessing what state I'm from, go ahead. It's not New York, New Jersey, Florida, or Texas.

Next time: **Interlude - Revolutionaries 2**


	9. Interlude: Revolutionaries 2

Note: I use "he" as the identifying noun for D.C. but no one (except Virginia, Maryland, and America) really knows what gender D.C. is. It's sort of a big debate amongst the States whether he's male or female. Depending on which group of States I'm writing about, I'll either use "he" or "she". In this case, most of the original 13 think D.C. is male.

**The 11****th**** State**

_Interlude: Revolutionaries 2_

East coast meetings typically ran smoothly. Sure, Virginia and Georgia had the tendency to fight over any and every topic, New York and Massachusetts would randomly start arguing over baseball (no matter what time of year it was), the Carolina's either agreed or disagreed so strongly they would quietly bicker, New Jersey would threaten whoever she found particularly annoying on that day, and Michigan and Ohio would make a fuss about being forced to sit side-by-side. But all of that was normal. All of that, D.C. could handle.

The first two days of the meeting had gone as usual and were perhaps a little more peaceful than usual, for which D.C. was thankful. On the third day, however, he was exhausted by the time he was able to call the meeting to an end, three hours after the time they usually ended. Even after reviewing the events of the day, D.C. still wasn't sure where things had gone wrong.

It was a disaster.

Virginia and Massachusetts were at each other's throats all day. Pennsylvania proved herself a source of annoyance to both New Jersey _and_ Delaware. Maryland had brought Anthem, her Chesapeake Bay retriever, and had to keep him from attacking Connecticut when he decided to do damage control and pulled out one of his revolvers. Georgia started a fist fight with Tennessee over their shared border. (The last one was an on-going thing, though usually it didn't get past the two yelling at each other.)

Noticing that most of the trouble was between the more northern half of the Original Thirteen, D.C. held them back after the meeting to get to the bottom of things.

"Is this going to take long?" New York asked. "I've got a date with this totally hot Broadway guy."

"Except he's gay, so it's not a date," Massachusetts said, happy to burst her bubble after she stole his lunch earlier that day.

New York scowled. "Shut up! I can pretend!"

"Quiet!" snapped D.C. "The time we spent in this room today was equivalent to a good conference with all fifty-one of us. There are twenty-seven of us. _Meetings should not take this long._"

The room went silent as the gathered States took in just how angry the Capital was. Anthem whined softly and crawled under Maryland's seat, his tail tucked between his legs.

"The ten of you are the oldest of us, along with the Carolina's, Georgia, and Florida. Start acting like it. Conferences are not the time to bring up personal issues. They're for rational discussions about state matters and keeping up with everything going on in our region." He paused a moment and then turned to address the oldest State in the room. "Virginia! Why are you fighting with Massachusetts?"

Virginia stubbornly pressed her lips tightly together.

D.C. frowned and turned his head to Massachusetts. "Would _you_ like to explain this?"

The blond crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing.

"No?" D.C. didn't sound surprised. "Pennsylvania, do you have anything to say?" He paused for a very brief second, but quickly moved on. "Delaware? New Jersey?" Again, he got nothing. There was only one State who may give him an actual answer, depending on what sort of mood he was in. "Connecticut, what is going on?"

The strawberry blond looked up from his pad of paper, on which he was doodling an old Spitfire. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said lightly.

"You threatened to shoot nearly everyone in the room today. Talk," D.C. said firmly.

"What's going on has nothing to do with you," Connecticut said. "We'll work it out on our own. Don't butt in." He stood up, tucking his pencil behind is ear and sliding his notepad into his bag. "Salem, you're with me. Penny, you're with Miranda. Chris, you're with Anna. Meet up in my room tonight at nine and we'll talk." He smiled mockingly at D.C. and sharply pushed in his chair. "Meeting over."

D.C. could only stand back and watch as the other States followed Connecticut's example and quickly left. Only Maryland and Anthem remained behind to talk to him.

"I hope everything works out," Maryland said, gently petting Anthem's head. "It's so odd seeing Penny fight with Anna."

D.C. sighed. "Hearing Virginia argue with Massachusetts is even more odd. If they can't work things out, I'm going to have to get dad involved. I'd rather not, since he's still in the process of celebrating his birthday, but I may have no choice."

"Lets give them a week or two," Maryland suggested.

"A week," agreed D.C. "But not a day more."

* * *

><p>Connecticut's meeting went about as well as he expected it would. To make matters worse, Virginia decided to make an appearance to "help out" with his plan, which only increased the tension in the room. Thankfully he got his point across in the end.<p>

"We fly out in two days," Connecticut told them. "Massachusetts, Virginia, and I will go meet England the day we arrive. The next day, in the morning, it will be Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the afternoon it will be Rhode Island and Delaware. If England wants to, he can join us for dinner that evening."

Pennsylvania scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't have dinner with him. I'd rather sit in the hotel room."

Before Connecticut could say anything, Virginia was on her feet and standing in front of her sister. She leaned down and whispered into Pennsylvania's ear, so no one else could hear. "We have our independence. That time has long-since passed. You haven't had a problem with England in many, many years and you only started caring when you heard that he and dad are dating. _Let them heal_. Yes, they've hurt one another in the past, but if they can get over it then so can we. Dad's happy. At least _try_ to be happy for him."

Pennsylvania frowned.

Virginia backed away.

"So, uh, what's it like in London this time of year? That's where we're going, right?" Rhode Island asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them once his sisters were done talking.

"Bet it's raining," Massachusetts grumbled.

"Don't be a dick," New Jersey told him. "It's summer. And just because it's London doesn't mean it'll be raining!"

"What do you know?" Massachusetts snapped back at her. "You've never left the country."

New Jersey stood, her blue-gray eyes flashing angrily. "The only reason you've left is to fight in wars! What the hell do you really know about other countries!"

As Massachusetts opened his mouth to yell back, Connecticut brought his fingers to his lips and let loose an ear-splitting whistle. Feeling that he'd done enough damage control for one day, he ordered his siblings out of his room, cheerfully reminding them that he _would_ hunt each and every one of them down if they dared to skip out on their trip to visit England.

"Well that went well," he said to himself once he shut and bolted the door shut. "Time to plan our trip~!" He skipped over to his table, plucking out his personal travel guide to pick out places to take his siblings. "I wonder if I can find that sexy bartender again…"

* * *

><p>England wasn't having a good day. Being away for so long had left him with a massive pile of paperwork to go through. Knowing that America had all sorts of help when it came to his own work had him feeling a bit resentful towards his boyfriend. (Though it did explain why America could goof off so often but still be prepared for meetings.)<p>

_He_ had no help. At best, one of his brothers would drop by to offer "advice" on occasion (i.e. complain about whatever they felt like).

Further adding to his bad mood and growing headache, was the rumours of a couple of teens wandering around the building. He'd walked by his secretary talking on the phone about how gorgeous they were and how they "must be models" because of how inhumanly beautiful they were.

"Ridiculous," England muttered. "I ought to sack her… gossiping on the job…. Bloody useless girl can't even make a decent cup of tea…" He glared at his stack of papers, which was slowly starting to shrink after three straight days of work. Just a few more documents and he could get up and stretch his legs and maybe make himself a glass of tea or get a snack.

He tiredly rubbed his eyes as he read over the final paragraph before signing his name.

A knock sounded at the door and his secretary opened it up and stuck her head inside. "E-excuse me, Mr. Kirkland? There are some people who want to speak with you."

England raised an eyebrow and looked up, slightly mystified by the slight stammer in her voice. She was usually so well-spoken, unafraid to barge in and boldly announce the name of his visitor. The only exception was when France dropped by, though in that case she was less flustered and more giggly and flirtatious.

"Who are they?" He asked, trying not to let his annoyance leak into his voice.

"I-I don't know, sir. Should I ask?"

England sighed and waved his hand. "No, no. Let them in." It would be better for him to deal with his visitors himself than to spend more time trying to get any information from his secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Kirkland!" She stepped out of his office and spoke for a moment to the guests.

England set aside his paperwork and pen, waiting to see who his oh-so-important guests were and why they were interrupting his work. Foreboding rose within him when a familiar-looking teen stepped into the room with a second boy right behind him. It wasn't the familiar one who had him worried.

"Hello again!" Eric Hale greeted.

England's attention was captured by the second teen, who had a piece of blond hair which stuck up in a very familiar manner. Then a third person appeared; one with untamable light blonde hair and vivid green eyes. She shut the door tightly behind her.

England remained seated, looking between the three of them, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Surprise!" Virginia said cheerfully. "Hope you don't mind our visit. Once I heard Connecticut was bringing a couple of us over here to meet you, I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"Connecticut?" England questioned.

Eric raised his hand. "That's me. Eric Hale Jones, the state of Connecticut. Sorry for not telling you the first time we met, but I wasn't sure if you were England or not." He cleared his throat and gestured to the teen with the curled lock of hair. "This is our brother, Salem."

"Massachusetts," corrected Salem. "You can call me by my state name."

England could feel the hatred washing off of the State in great waves. He smiled nervously, not at all sure how to handle the situation. He decided to be as diplomatic as he could, without coming across as cold and aloof.

"It's nice to meet you," said England. "I'm afraid I'm quite behind at the moment, otherwise I'd take some time to show you around." He paused when he noticed the smile slip from Virginia's face for a brief second. One of the fairies who was fond of fluttering around his office drifted over to her, curiously examining the flower pinned to her hair. "I suppose it is time for a break. Perhaps you would like to join me for tea?"

Connecticut visibly winced, while Virginia was far too distracted by the ethereal being flitting around her hair.

Massachusetts scowled. "You and your goddamned tea. I don't have to put up with this. I'm leaving!"

Virginia took a step to her left, blocking the doorknob. The fairy flew away. It seemed she had been paying attention after all. "Don't you dare leave. He didn't mean it like that."

"I don't care how he meant it. Move," Massachusetts demanded.

Virginia stood her ground. "I won't. You promised before we left that you would try, Salem. _This_ isn't trying." She lowered her voice. "I can't tell you what to do, but _please_ try."

Massachusetts sighed heavily and backed off. "Fine. But I'm not drinking any damn tea."

Virginia beamed. All of her previous ire was forgotten as she threw her arms around her brother's neck and stood on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

Connecticut happily clapped his hands together. "Excellent! So, how does lunch sound? My treat."

"You sound like Hammy," Virginia complained as she stepped away from Massachusetts. "How about the three of us split costs?"

"Oh? So you mean you both remembered to get your currency exchanged?" Connecticut asked, amusement lacing his voice. He couldn't help but take pleasure in the fact that neither of his older siblings had thought things out completely. He looked to England with a smile. "Any place you'd like to go?"

England did, though he didn't feel it would go over well with Massachusetts.

* * *

><p>Massachusetts was <em>not <em>pleased, that much England could tell. However, the tea shop was his favorite place to get a bite to eat and there was no way he would let the moody State ruin that. Besides, Virginia seemed rather charmed by the place and Connecticut didn't look as though he had a problem with the shop.

"How cute," Virginia cooed happily upon spying the tea sets lining the walls as decoration. Her eyes soon landed on the dessert counter and she abandoned the boys to get a better look.

"Excuse me," Connecticut said, giving Massachusetts an extremely brief warning look before dashing off after Virginia to keep her out of trouble. As he caught up with his older sister, who was awing over the various types of scones and cheesecakes on display, he began to wonder why he thought bringing his siblings to meet England was a good idea.

While Connecticut was busy, England had led the way to a booth near his usual table. He and Massachusetts sat in awkward silence, each of them looking over the double-sided menu. England didn't need to. He knew he would get the same thing he always did, but to sit there with Salem in complete silence would make things far more awkward than they needed to be.

"Is there enough damn tea on here?" Massachusetts grumbled.

England glanced at the state over his menu. It was alarming how greatly the teen resembled a younger America. It was something he'd been trying to prepare for, especially after meeting states like Virginia, California, Florida, New York, and Louisiana. He knew it was only a matter of time before he met one who greatly resembled his boyfriend, and there he was, sitting right in front of him.

They had similar hairstyles. That was the very first thing England noticed about Massachusetts. His light blond hair was cut short just like America's, though his bangs were parted on the opposite side. He even had that infuriating curl of hair that refused to stay down! His eyes though, were a stormy mixture of green and blue, smoldering with resentment.

'_A young America,'_ thought England. _'How he was right before he decided to claim independence. How on earth did I handle him back then…?'_

A grumpy huff from Massachusetts prevented him from thinking back to that period of time. "Scones… Stupid…"

"There's hot chocolate and cake," England said before he could stop himself.

Massachusetts glared at him. "I don't need your help deciding what to get!"

The State's likeness to his father went down a few notches. Even when he was annoyed, America didn't snap at him. It was more of a quiet stewing of displeasure, which he would express in childish ways. (Like pretending England didn't exist or refusing to eat anything healthy when England complained about all of the fast food he ate.)

England chuckled and then quickly lifted his menu to hide it. The last thing he wanted was to give Massachusetts something else to be annoyed over.

"Sit," Connecticut said, gently pushing Virginia into the space next to England. He sighed when his sister giggled and leaned over to peer at the menu in England's hands. Hoping the rest of lunch would go smoothly, he sat down next to Massachusetts. "So, what's everyone getting?"

"I want a blueberry scone!" Virginia chirruped. "And… I dunno what kind of tea. Vanilla caramel? Do they have that here? I guess I'll just ask the waitress…" She looked around and smiled when she spotted someone heading their way. She began questioning the waitress the moment she arrived at their table, giving the others a little more time to make their decisions.

"I'll have the usual," England said once Virginia was done.

The waitress nodded and jotted it down, knowing exactly what he wanted. He always ordered the same thing.

"Chamomile tea for me," Connecticut said. "And I suppose I'll also have an English muffin. What about you, Salem?"

Massachusetts avoided looking at England. "I'll have hot chocolate and a piece of chocolate cake."

Virginia giggled as the waitress began walking away. "You and your sweet tooth. You're worse than Penny when it comes to chocolate!"

"Shut up! I am not!"

"You are~!"

"No fighting," Connecticut sternly reminded them.

"Yes, _mom_," Virginia and Massachusetts chimed sarcastically in unison. The moment the words left their mouths they exchanged surprised looks and then smiled. Connecticut felt himself able to relax a little. At last things were starting to get back to normal.

England watched them in wonder. They were so much like ordinary human families with the way they fought and made up. How could one simple little thing clear the tension so easily? He could never do that with his brothers.

"Chris, this is a tea shop. Why are we having lunch here?"

"Heh heh, when in London~!"

England looked up to see four teens enter the café. Beside him, Virginia's good humor vanished and she slouched down in her seat. Massachusetts and Connecticut took notice, turning around in their booth to see what was going on.

"Damn it," Connecticut muttered. "Not good."

"Do you know them?" England asked. _'Please don't be more states…'_

He watched the teens gather around the display cabinet, pointing out different things. One of them, a girl with noticeable highlights of silver in her blonde hair, was scowling the entire time.

"Our siblings," Connecticut said. "But they were supposed to stay in the room. What are they doing here?"

"Same as us, I suppose." Virginia sighed and cautiously looked at them. She caught the eye of the shortest of the group - a boy with wavy blond hair. She groaned softly when he smiled and nudged the curly-haired girl next to him, gesturing to their table.

England took notice of their reactions to having been spotted and wondered just how bad it really was. Did they not get along with them or was there something else going on?

He got his answer when the four teens walked over to join them and the girl with silver hair pushed her way to the front. She narrowed her blue eyes, which were a shade startlingly similar to America's, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't like you dating dad," she said bluntly.

So _that_ was it, England realized. That was what Connecticut and the others were so worried about. England couldn't help but feel a little hurt, though as he'd told America many weeks before, he couldn't expect to be liked by every State.

England sat up straight, meeting her gaze head-on.

"Penny, you promised-!"

"I didn't," she interrupted Virginia. "I never promised a thing." She stepped forward and slammed her hands down on the table. "How can I be happy for dad when it's _you _he's dating, huh? After everything that's gone on between you, how can I accept this? I won't! I can't! I've lived long enough to see that history really does repeat itself. Eventually you'll hurt each other again."

England was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. "You're right. That's to be expected when you live as long as we do. We're all going to hurt each other in some way or another. However," he paused, his final word hanging in the air between them. "That does not mean I'm going to break up with Alfred. I won't do that just because you're unhappy."

"Fine," Penny said waspishly. "Then convince me that you're right for dad."

The short blond boy weakly tugged on her shirt sleeve. "Penn, that's enough. Lets go."

Penny shrugged away his hand. "Not now, Chris. I'm waiting for his answer."

Rhode Island stepped away from her, casting an apologetic look towards Connecticut. _'I tried,_' he seemed to be saying. Neither of the other two girls who came in with Chris and Penny made a move to help do damage control.

Virginia watched her usually calm sister with a weary eye, unsure of what the Pennsylvanian would do if England didn't give her a satisfactory answer. From the corner of her eye she could see Massachusetts sitting up a little straighter, his green-blue eyes focused intently on the Briton as he also waited on the answer.

"Well, how about it? Convince me!" Penny demanded.

By that point, England was at a loss for words. What could he possibly say that would make her happy? He wasn't going to lie and promise to stay by America's side forever. They lived for far too long to make such vows, however nice that would be. He couldn't swear to never start a fight with the American; that would have been like not breathing. It was in their natures to bicker and fight with one another. It'd always been that way. And if their countries ever went to war against one another again… England couldn't bear to think of that, but he knew they'd have no choice but to fight one another.

"I can't," England murmured, hating himself for how unsure he sounded at that moment.

Pennsylvania scoffed and backed away from the table. "I expected more from you." She turned to Connecticut next. "I've had enough of your little game, Eric, and I'm sick of being in this place. Whether I have to fly commercial or you end your trip early, I'm going home tonight."

"Wait, Penn."

Virginia's eyes slid over to the one State she hadn't expected to hear speak up at that moment. She wasn't the only one surprised. Even England, who'd just met him, was stunned to hear Massachusetts keep Penny from walking away.

"Look, I'm not happy to be here either," Massachusetts said. "But I promised Virginia I'd try so I'm going to try. So I'm going to ask a question and if you lie, so help me, I will bring down the wrath of all fifty States on you. It would be easy."

"And a pleasure," Pennsylvania added darkly.

England fidgeted uncomfortably.

Massachusetts sat back, enjoying the chance to watch England squirm. He wanted to not say anything for another minute or so, but a look at Virginia and seeing how she was barely hiding how annoyed she was had him talking a little sooner.

"Do you love dad?"

* * *

><p>America was unhappily stuck in his office with several stacks of papers for the day, courtesy of Washington D.C. Meanwhile, his capital was keeping an eye on his from a comfy chair he'd brought over from his own office. Rather than do paperwork, the teen was looking over something for his hockey team.<p>

"I don't get what's so great about hockey," grumbled America. "Football's way better."

"Ontario and I started talking about it last week," D.C. said. "He issued a challenge. Naturally, I responded with my own. My team _will_ win this year."

America sighed. "Man, this is going to be another year of you all fighting over which team's the best, isn't it? And all of you are going to expect me to pick my favorite. You know what, I'm gonna tell you right now that my favorite team is the _American_ one. How's that sound?"

"Like you're cheating," D.C. said with a chuckle. "But it doesn't matter to me. Virginia will root for my team too."

"Unless she cheers for the Hurricanes," America said, deliberately baiting his capital.

D.C. scowled, looking up from the paperwork. "Don't go there dad. She wouldn't do such a horrible thing to me."

America laughed as he signed his name to the bottom of a document. "Yeah, I know. Just a joke, sweetie."

"Don't call me that."

"Buttercup?"

"Don't call me that either."

"Sugar pie?"

"_Dad."_

"Honey bee?"

"Dad, I'm serious, knock it off."

America was about to try another sugary nickname when his cell phone began blaring _God Save the Queen_, which England had forced him to set as his ring tone instead of the song about heroes he'd wanted to use. "'scuse me, kiddo. I better take this."

"Yeah, don't want to piss off your wife," D.C. said lightly.

A faint rosy hue spread across America's cheeks. He mumbled a brief "England's not my wife" before flipping open his phone and putting it to his ear. "Hey, babe! What's shaking?" He could almost hear England scowling in the brief silence that followed.

"_I will never understand your slang. It makes absolutely no sense."_

"Yeah, I know," America said with a grin. "So what's up? You sound more bothered than usual. You miss me that badly?"

"_O-of course not! Don't be stupid!"_

"Well I miss you. It's so weird crawling into bed and not having you there. I think I only slept four hours each night since you left."

D.C. mimed gagging from the sappiness of the conversation.

America flipped off the Capital and turned his chair around so he wouldn't have to look at the teen. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you?"

"_No! It's nothing! Really!"_

America frowned at the whispers he heard in the background, as well as the nervous tone of voice his boyfriend was using. "Where are you? You'd better not be drinking at a bar with France again. Connecticut went running off somewhere for a few days so I can't rope him into flying me over there so I can rescue you."

"_C-Connecticut? I-OW! Don't hit me, you bloody pillock!"_

America paled when he heard someone who sounded suspiciously like Massachusetts shouting in the background. "England, w-who are you with? My State's aren't over there, are they?"

"_Yes, but– _Stop kicking me_! Sorry, Alfred. I need to go. Say, you don't really need Massachusetts do you?"_

"Er…"

"_Jolly good. I'll see you in a few days. I love you."_

America lowered his cell phone from his ear, gaping at it for a moment before a euphoric grin spread across his face. He began giggling.

D.C. looked up just in time to witness America spinning around happily in his swivel chair, still giggling like crazy. The capital rolled his eyes. "You're so weird."

America stopped spinning. "England told me he loves me! Can you believe it?"

"And so the fucked up romance continues with the first 'I love you' over the phone instead of in person," muttered D.C. "Just take the rest of the day off. I can tell already you won't get any more work done."

America was up and putting on his jacket faster than D.C. could blink. "Thanks, hon! See you at dinner!"

D.C. could only sigh and follow after him. There was no point in sticking around any longer.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe they got us kicked out," Rhode Island grumbled to Delaware as they walked away from the tea shop. They were leading the way back to the hotel after Pennsylvania attacked Massachusetts for "abandoning" her and their mutual dislike of England dating America. New Jersey had happily joined in under the pretext of trying to stop the fight, but only made things much worse. And so they were bodily thrown out of the tea shop.<p>

Virginia and Massachusetts thought the whole thing was hilarious and were bantering back and forth just as they always did when they weren't split on an idea, playfully shoving one another and causing a scene. New Jersey, having calmed down after the fight, was supporting Pennsylvania, who'd tripped over a chair and injured her ankle. Connecticut and England had remained behind at the shop to apologize profusely and try to make amends.

Delaware ran a hand through her blonde hair as she glanced back at their siblings. "I'm not too surprised. It was only a matter of time before one of them snapped."

"Yeah, but our sweet Penny?" Rhode Island asked. "I can't believe she was the one who snapped. Usually she's so… peaceful."

Delaware stopped walking and held out her arm across Rhode Island's chest, stopping him as well. "Remember the war?"

Rhode Island doubted he would ever forget. He doubted any of them would. Though none of them had fought in the Revolutionary War, he could remember Pennsylvania and Massachusetts being particularly volatile during that time.

"What's the hold up?" Virginia asked as she and Massachusetts reached them.

Delaware lowered her arm. "It's nothing. Just talking about the past. So," she glanced at Massachusetts with a raised eyebrow. "What made you change your mind about all of this?"

Massachusetts chuckled and walked past his siblings. He said nothing, leaving them standing there completely mystified.

"Move your ass!" New Jersey growled as she and Pennsylvania caught up. "You're blocking the sidewalk!"

They started walking away, deciding to wait until they got back to the hotel before they talked more. Hopefully they would have some time before Connecticut met back up with them and lectured them all about proper conduct.

At least things were looking up.

* * *

><p>End chapter<p>

* * *

><p>If there are any noticeable mistakes in this chapter, please forgive me. I was distracted by hockey for at least half of the time I was writing this. (Thus D.C. and America's brief conversation about hockey teams.)<p>

As the oldest of the original 13, I imagine Virginia and Massachusetts are still rather close and that it's weird for them to fight.

I did not mean for this interlude to be so long. I did love getting the chance to work with D.C. a little. He/She won't get a chapter until towards the end.

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but when I get a request for a specific state or region, I do try to bump up their chapter. Since I recently got asked for more of the Midwest, the next chapter I write will probably be for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. After that it'll be a world meeting chapter with Hawaii and Alaska and then the remaining four southern states. An interlude comes after that.

A tentative outline for which state comes when:

8. Untitled (MO, KS, IA, IL)  
>9. World Meeting (HI, AK)<br>10. Southern Quartet (AL, GA, MS, SC)  
>Interlude (US Territories)<br>11. Almost Canadian (VT, MI, OH, ME)  
>12. 4 Corners (AZ, UT, CO, NM)<br>13. Untitled (WI, MN, IN)  
>Interlude (US Territories and a visit from the Philippines)<br>14. Heart of America (MD, D.C., WV)  
>15. The Forgotten Ones (ND, SD, NE, WY)<br>~Bonus Chapters~

The only two that won't be changed no matter how many request I get are the final 2 and #9. Any others I'm open to switching them around. I'm also open to any suggestions about what they can do during England's visit.


	10. Midwest

**The 11th State**

_8. Midwest_

England was, understandably, rather confused. America had woken him up in the middle of the night, shoved him into the car, and drove off without telling him where they were going. When they finally stopped several hours later, he was forced to walk for what seemed like ages in the dark until they came across a giant arch.

"America, what is this? Why are we here?" England asked tiredly.

The younger Nation said nothing for a moment, instead taking England by he hand and leading him towards the arch. "We're going inside and all the way up to the top."

"You brought me here to go inside a giant arch?" England asked incredulously. "America, what—"

"You'll see," interrupted America. "You'll like this. It's pretty cool."

England fell silent, somewhat confused by his boyfriend's behavior. It was so rare to see him act serious that he often forgot that America could, in fact, act like a mature adult instead of the teenager he appeared to be. If only for that reason, he followed America without complaint.

The security guards waved as they walked past, letting them inside without complaint. America led the way to the stairs and England could only stare at them and hope the walk wasn't as long as it appeared.

It was.

America led him to the windows, looking through several of them before finally making his choice. "Here! This one!"

England looked outside but saw nothing but darkness and the eastern sky beginning to lighten. "Alfred, what am I looking at?"

"Just wait. Keep watching."

England frowned and waited. Every now and then he'd glance over at America, who was eagerly looking out the window. Light suddenly struck the American's face, casting his face in gold and bringing out the lighter tones in his hair.

For a moment, England forgot how to breathe.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" America asked.

Egland struggled to find his voice, tearing his gaze away from his boyfriend to watch the sunrise. "Y-yeah."

"It's been a while since I last came down here, I've been so busy and all. When Missouri invited us over last night, I knew I had to show you."

"So we're in Missouri?"

America nodded. "Yup. This is the Gateway Arch, built because the town of Independence here in Missouri was the start of the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail." He chuckled. "We call him the mother of the west. It's pretty cool, right?"

England hid a smile. "I suppose."

"_See, I __**told **__you they'd be up here, Theo."_

"_You cheated somehow. I know you did."_

"_And how would I have done that?"_

"_Connection to the land, duh. We can all sense dad when he'd on our land."_

America turned away from the window and beamed when he saw two teens entering the space from the stairwell. "Hey, Theo! And Stuart's here too? I thought we were meeting up at the McDonald's in Des Plaines!"

"We were," admitted the boy with wavy blond hair. "But we thought this would be better. Now we can travel together!"

"Stuart means _he_ thought it would be a good idea," said the other boy, narrowing his dark green eyes at his brother. "_I_ wanted to drive up there ahead of time just like we planned originally. You know I'm meeting up with Eric tomorrow to show him around Wichita and talk about aircrafts!"

Stuart laughed. "Relax, I'll get you back in time! Just leave it up to your big brother!"

"I'd rather not."

America laughed loudly. "Okay, you two. You wanna come introduce yourselves to England?"

The blond skipped over first. "Bonjour~ I'm Stuart Louis Jones, the magnificent state of Missouri! We'll get to see a lot of my land on our way to Illinois!" Rather than reach out for a handshake, his gave a flamboyant bow.

The green-eyed boy with straight brown hair walked over and held out his hand first. England grasped it uneasily. "Theodore Jones, the state of Kansas." He released England's hand and took a step back. "Are we done here? I got at least five missed calls from Jean on the way over here and I'm pretty sure it all has to do with food and how much of it he should make and when he should make it."

Missouri laughed, swinging an arm around his younger brother. "Chill, Dorothy. We've got plenty of time!"

"Shut up, _mom._"

"You—"

America stepped forward, easily separating the two boys and standing between them. "Well, what are we waiting for? It's been ages since I've had any of Iowa's home cooking!" He paused for a moment as he gave them a push towards the stairs. "I can still get food at McDonald's, right?"

Kansas rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, dad," Missouri said. "We wouldn't take you there and not let you get anything! You'll just have to limit it to, say, five Big Macs."

"Five? But that's crazy! I gotta at least have ten!"

"Five and not a burger more."

England chuckled and followed them.

* * *

><p>"And this, this is Illinois! Home of the very first McDonald's!" America announced as he led the march across the parking lot. He grinned when his eyes landed on a teen with wheat blond hair who was wearing a <em>Chicago Cubs <em>t-shirt. The boy was scowling at him from his spot in the back of an old truck. Clearly he'd heard what his dad just said.

Missouri adjusted his _Cardinals _ball cap with a smirk.

"Oh, this'll be good," Kansas murmured to England. "Dad's about to get bitched out. Then Illinois'll get distracted by Missouri and start a fight over who's team will win their match tonight. We've got Cubs versus Reds and Cardinals versus Marlins today. Expect plenty of yelling once we get to Illinois's house."

"Dad," Illinois greeted as they approached. "You are _not_ talking about McDonald's."

"I am," America said. "You should be proud to be the home of the very first one!"

Illinois gave an aggravated sigh. "I can't believe _that's_ what you remember me for. Not Chicago. Not the museums in Chicago. Not my amazing baseball team. Not _Al Capone_."

America grinned and swung an arm around Illinois's shoulders, urging him to walk with him into the fast food joint. "That sounds about right. Say, you're treating me to lunch, right?"

"Like hell I am."

* * *

><p>The first thing England noticed when they arrived at Illinois's house was that it was noticeably smaller than the houses of the other State's he had visited. It was a single-story white house with dark gray shingles and an unpainted wooden front porch. The second thing he noticed was the teenager on the front porch who was lazily shucking corn and discarding the leafy greens in a brown paper bag.<p>

Illinois pulled into his garage and parked while Missouri and Kansas rolled up behind him and blocked him in. America chose the space next to Missouri's blue car.

"Another of your sons?" England asked, gesturing towards the teen on the porch.

America nodded as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Iowa should be the only other one you're meeting today. The others tend to avoid Missouri and Illinois when a baseball game's on, especially this year. By the way…" He turned to England and looked him in the eyes, his expression serious. "Don't take sides. Don't say anything about baseball, even if they bring it up. I did it once with Allison and Salem and they about tore my house down." He quickly backtracked when England furrowed his brows and glanced wearily at the house. "Not that Quentin and Stuart are that bad! They're pretty tame compared to Allie and Salem."

"Alfred, I have no interest in talking about sports with your children," England informed him. "Unless they're interested in football—_proper_ football, not your Americanized, watered down version of rugby."

"Hey!" America protested, looking highly affronted.

England quickly leaned over the middle console and kissed his boyfriend on the lips. "Hush now, love. I believe they're waiting for us." He unbuckled and got out of the car.

On the porch, Kansas was sitting next to Iowa and was helping out with shucking the corn. The two were conversing politely with one another, relaxed with the simple task. Missouri and Illinois were making kissy faces in America and England's direction.

England ignored them. America, on the other hand, took one look at them after he'd also gotten out of the car and decided to tease them right back. He didn't run over to England and start nuzzling him or anything. No, instead he ran up onto the front porch shouting, "Someone wants a kiss from daddy!"

The pair of blond's took off running into the house, slamming the door shut behind them. America cheerfully chased after them, nearly ripping the door off it's hinges as he ran inside. Neither Kansas nor Iowa batted an eye at their antics.

"Come join us, England," Kansas invited, waving his hand. "There's plenty of room. Those three will be running around for a while."

Iowa looked up, blinking his dark blue eyes as if he was surprised to see England standing in Illinois's yard. He looked the European up and down and then nodded and went back to his work. England took that as a cue that the blond didn't have a problem with him and made his way onto the porch, where he sat down on the other side of Kansas.

"England, this is Jean Jones, the state of Iowa," Kansas introduced, accepting two ears of corn from his brother and handing one to England.

"Nice to meet you," England said politely

Iowa nodded. "Same to you. You know, you don't have to help me with the corn if you don't want. You're a guest here."

"So are you," Kansas said quietly.

Iowa ignored him.

"I don't mind. It will give me something to do while we're waiting for those three to calm down." England handed over a bare corn on the cob in exchange for an unshucked one. "So do you do this often?"

"What, get together and have dinner?" Kansas asked. "Once a month or so. Most of the time it's just us two, Missouri, and Illinois, but sometimes Oklahoma and Texas join us. Not today though, since Tex and Missouri start a brawl whenever they're in the same room." He sighed. "Sometimes I hate sports."

It wouldn't be until after lunch and about in the middle of two baseball games (_Cardinals_ vs. _Marlins_ and _Cubs_ vs. _Reds_) that England began to truly understand Kansas's sentiment. And America really wasn't helping matters.

"You know, it might be cool to get all of the baseball-loving States together to watch old games," said America. "You should set something like that up, Missouri."

The State raised an eyebrow and was able to take his gaze off of the television, but only because it had cut to commercial and they flipped it over to Illinois's team. "You kiddin'? Maryland hasn't talked to me since we creamed her _Orioles _back in June. New York stopped talking to me after I beat her _Yankees __**once **_last month. Tex—Hell, if he mentions his _Rangers_ one more time I just might punch him. I can't get Mass to shut up about his damn _Red Socks_. Why the hell do they take it so seriously?"

England peered over at the State, taking in the team shirt he was wearing as well as the _Cardinals_ blanket draped over him. Not to mention he'd been shouting angrily at the television mere moments before.

As he watched Iowa try not to laugh at his sports-crazed brothers and Kansas lift up a farming magazine to hide his amusement, England vowed to avoid all States when there was a sports game of any kind on.

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p>Considering how long it took me to write this, it really shouldn't be this short. College is starting to kick my butt, what with finals coming up in just a few weeks and all. I've also got two major projects due in December. Yay.<p>

I also need to finish up the final chapter of "This is Hetaween" and work on the next chapter of "All for the Love of Maple Syrup".

Sorry I couldn't get in the World Series game between Missouri and Texas! This chapter takes place in August.

**Missouri** - Stuart Louis Jones - wavy blond hair - sky blue eyes  
>Capital: Jefferson City<br>He shares borders with 8 different states, the most of any state (except Tennessee, which also borders 8.) He was once called the "gateway to the west" because he was the starting point for the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. (An unofficial nickname is "Mother of the West".) While the trails began in Independence, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is located in St. Louis, Missouri.  
>His first settlers were French Canadians.<br>He has accurately predicted the next president since 1904 (except for 1956 and 2008).  
>He is a smoker, and proud to say that he has the lowest taxes on cigarettes.<br>Nickname: Show-me State  
>State Motto: <em>Salus populi suprema lex esto<em> (The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law)  
>Joke "State Motto": Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work<br>Other: The 2011 World Series came down to St. Louis Cardinals vs. Texas Rangers. The Cardinals won.

**Kansas** - Theodore Jones - straight brown hair - dark green eyes  
>Capital: Topeka<br>Immune-to-but-annoyed by Wizard of Oz jokes, particularly being called "Dorothy" by his siblings. He's a very productive agricultural state. (Wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers, which he gifts to Alaska when he sees her.) Known for his flat lands and devastating tornadoes.  
>Witchita is one of the nation's leading aircraft-manufacturing centers. Sometimes Kansas gets together with Connecticut to talk about different types of aircrafts, though he's not nearly as into them as his eastern brother.<br>Nickname(s): Sunflower State; Jayhawk State  
>State Motto: <em>Ad astra per aspera<em> (To the stars through difficulties)  
>Joke "State Motto": First Of The Rectangle States<p>

**Illinois** - Quentin Jones - wheat blond hair - blue-gray eyes  
>Capital: Springfield<br>3 largest Ancestries: German, Irish, Polish  
>Home of the very first McDonalds! (Des Plaines, Illinois)<br>A state big on angriculture, manufacturing, coal mining, and oil production. Chicago is a giant in iron and steel production, as well as being famous for a Great Lakes port.  
>The opening of the Erie Canal allowed a large number of settlers in Illinois.<br>It may be safe to say that Abraham Lincoln was his favorite president, considering the number of shrines and memorials dedicated to him.  
>Nickname: Prairie State<br>State Motto: State sovereignty, national union  
>Joke "State Motto": Please Don't Pronounce the S<p>

**Iowa** - Jean Jones - wavy, golden blond hair - ocean blue eyes  
>Capital: Des Moines<br>Known as the food capital of the world, he is especially well known for his production of corn. He was also once part of New France. Aside from English, Spanish and German are the most common languages he speaks.  
>Produces 110 of the nation's food supply. However, the value of Iowa's manufactured products are worth 2x more. Iowan farms sell $10 billion worth of crops and livestock annually.  
>Nickname: Hawkeye State<br>State Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain  
>Joke "State Motto": We Do Amazing Things With Corn<p> 


	11. World Conference

****Since I wasn't very happy with the original chapter, I took the time to go back and rewrite it completely. Not only is this version longer, but you also get to get to know Alaska and Hawaii better.

**The 11th State**

_World Conference_

It was always a rare treat to be invited to act as America's secretary at one of the World Conferences. Each of the States had been invited at least once, and those that enjoyed traveling overseas had put their names on a list so they could continue doing it. Every now and then America would ask one of the others if they wanted to give it a second try.

Hawaii had been on the non-traveling list for quite some time, wanting to spend time on her lovely, warm islands with her aging mother, working hard to keep the old traditions alive and well. However, with news that her dad was dating England, she saw it as her one chance to get to know a little more about the other Nation and see if what Florida said was true.

Alaska, on the other hand, had been on the traveling list from the first moment she was able to. Even though she had to leave her five Alaskan Malamutes in the care of Yukon or British Columbia while she was away (as they were the only two she trusted with them), she always looked forward to sitting in a chair next to America and listening to all of the countries talk. It was so pleasantly noisy, just like State Conferences, but with the added bonus of no one dragging her into a fight.

That day was different though. Though they'd wanted to sit in on the meeting, Germany had requested a Nation-only meeting for the day, explaining that Australia's kids had caused quite a stir during the previous World Conference and that they had to make up for lost time.

And so the two girls sat at a table in the hall leading to the conference room, Alaska dressed in one of her dark blue suits with a long pencil skirt, her ash blonde hair pulled up off of her neck. One long strand of hair, representing the Aleutian islands, was left free. Hawaii was across from her, looking extremely uncomfortable in her stiff charcoal gray suit. She'd already taken off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair. The hibiscus pinned in her dark brown hair was yellow that day.

"So this is weird, huh?" Hawaii said, trying to strike up conversation with her quiet sister. "Being here, but not participating in a meeting. No arguments to deal with. No Georgia picking fights with Virginia. No Michigan poking fun at Ohio. No Oregon teasing Washington. It's almost peaceful."

The bang of someone pounding a fist on the hardwood table and a shout sounded from the conference room.

"Just Germany trying to keep everything under control," Alaska said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I wonder what dad's done this time."

"Maybe he brought up the snow globe plan," Hawaii suggested.

Alaska shook her head. "Eric said he did that at that last meeting. It probably had something to do with superheroes this time."

Hawaii laughed and agreed.

Five minutes later, chaos erupted again in the meeting room and Germany began yelling for everyone's attention. The two girls sat in the hall and listened, wondering if the stern country was going to call for a break or try to salvage what was left of their time and carry on. They got their answer ten minutes later, when Prussia was brusquely shoved out into the hall by Germany and told to behave before the door swung shut again.

The albino Nation muttered something about being too awesome to attend meetings anyway and was about to go on his merry way to cause trouble elsewhere when he gaze landed on the two States. He grinned, recognizing Alaska right away, and strutted over to them.

"Hey, Alaska! Me and Denmark are going to hit up the bars once this boring meeting is over. You going to join us?" He asked, leaning on the table.

Alaska shrugged. "I think dad wants to spend a quiet night in tonight."

"So not awesome. Who's going to help me make fun of Denmark when he gets drunk enough to try and write love ballads for Norway?" Prussia complained.

"You'll just have to find someone else," Alaska replied. "I'm sure there are plenty of Nations who wouldn't mind going drinking with you. What about Russia? Or Finland? I've heard some stories about Poland being able to hold his alcohol well."

Prussia winced slightly. "That's probably not such a good idea. I don't like Russia and Poland's still kind of pissed at me about something I did. And the last time Finland went drinking with us… well, it wasn't the greatest night ever. I'm pretty sure it was one of the worst nights of my life."

"Well I don't know who else to suggest. Maybe Uncle Mattie. He can get a little silly if you get a few beers into him," Alaska said.

"Uncle Mattie?" Prussia asked with a frown. He promptly held up a hand when he noticed Alaska trying to answer. "No, wait! I can remember this. I'm awesome like that!" He moved away from the table and began pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

Hawaii frowned. "Do most people have a hard time remembering Uncle Matt?"

"A few," Alaska replied. "It used to be way worse, but it's getting much better lately. Prussia just doesn't spend any time outside of meetings around him, so it's no surprise that he's having trouble making the connection."

"Canada!" Prussia shouted triumphantly, his red eyes gleaming as he turned to face the girls. "The guy with the polar bear and the strange curly hair. I'm right, aren't I? Of course I am. The awesome me is never wrong!" He cackled. "Hey, tell Canada to meet me upstairs. I'm in room 118. I've got some stuff to do."

Alaska barely managed to get out an "okay" in reply before Prussia dashed off, laughing like a maniac.

Hawaii furrowed her brows, a concerned expression on her face. "Is it really okay for Uncle Matt to go drinking with him? He seems a little… off kilter."

Alaska waved off her sisters concern. "Oh, don't worry. He's - well, he's not harmless, but he won't hurt Uncle Mattie. It'll be fine. Besides, Uncle Mattie needs to get out and have a little fun sometimes. Denmark and Prussia don't start _too _much trouble. That's why dad lets me tag along when he hit's the town with them." She turned her attention to the lapels of her jacket and began smoothing them down, as if they weren't already perfectly flat.

It took Hawaii a few minutes to realize her older sister was humming a cheerful little tune. She narrowed her hazel green eyes. The Last Frontier was acting far too happy. Something was up and she was going to find out what it was.

She took a moment to debate internally over how to begin her questioning. Should she be subtle or blunt?

Recalling how subtlety never got anywhere with over half of her siblings, as allusions to things just went flying right over their heads and typically ended with confusion on both sides, she decided that being blunt was the better way to go.

"What are you scheming now, Akilina?"

The light-haired State donned her best "who, me?" look, which was quite possibly the best Hawaii had ever seen. It topped even Arkansas's, which was a feat considering his was completely genuine.

Hawaii wasn't falling for it. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure there are a half a dozen other Nations who you could have recommended. Why Uncle Matt?"

"What? I can't offer advice without having some sort of ulterior motive?" Alaska asked lightly. "I'm _offended_, Leilani. Really, I am. It truly wounds me that you think-"

"You made a bet with B.C. again, didn't you?" Hawaii accused, cutting off her sister in mid-sentence.

Alaska grinned sheepishly. "Maybe a little. It's for a good reason!"

"I don't want to know," the island state said firmly. "Don't get me involved. I want no part in whatever scheme you've cooked up this time. They always backfire in your face."

"Not always," Alaska said with a pout.

The great doors to the conference room swung open and the first wave of chattering Nations exited, most likely relieved to finally be leaving. It took a few minutes before America appeared, dragging an annoyed England along with him. France and Canada trailed after the two, looking amused.

Alaska and Hawaii stood to properly greet them. Alaska went straight for Canada to give her favorite uncle a hug and to quietly pass along Prussia's message without anyone else overhearing. He looked confused, but thanked her before hurrying off.

America raised an eyebrow and looked to Hawaii for information.

"I decided not to ask," said the island state. "She and B.C. are up to something again."

"Say no more," America said with a grin. "Girls, I'd like you to meet England! England, these two are Alaska and Hawaii, my forty-ninth and fiftieth states."

"I'm Leilani," Hawaii said, reaching out for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."

Alaska bounced over and bypassed a handshake in order to hug England instead. She quickly pulled away, smiling widely. "You can call me Akilina if you'd like." She moved onto France next, enthusiastically hugging him and receiving a friendly kiss on the cheek. The two exchanged pleasant greetings before France excused himself.

"So, are you girls ready to go get some chow?" America asked. "Cuz I'm starving. Those meetings last way too long. I could totally go for a double cheeseburger right now. And a milkshake - chocolate. Ooo! And an extra large fry!"

Hawaii huffed. "McDonald's? Really, dad? I'm sure we can find a better place to eat that still sells burgers."

"But it's so delicious," whined America.

"I agree with Hawaii," England spoke up. "There are plenty of other places we could go. In fact, I know of one right down the street. I've heard that they have the best burgers in the city."

That cheered America up a little. Knowing he was outnumbered, he agreed to try out the restaurant, and off the four of them went, chattering about whatever came to mind.

* * *

><p>End chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Alaska<strong> - Akilina Jones - amethyst eyes - ash blonde hair, with one long strand which curls slightly at the end (represents the Aleutian Islands)  
>Capital: Juneau<br>Despite her appearance, she's very strong and resilient. Though she's used to being all on her own, she still loves being around people and wishes her family members would visit more often. Whenever she starts feeling a little down, she goes to one of her towns and strikes up conversations with her people.  
>Yukon and British Columbia are her border buddies. The three of them make a point to get together every now and then.<br>She owns five Alaskan Malamutes in a mixture of colors, who have been trained to pull a sled. They help her get around in the winter.  
>She bears no ill will towards Russia. She has always understood why he sold her to America.<br>One misconception her siblings have about her is that her favorite flowers are sunflowers. While she does like them, they aren't her absolute favorites. Forget-me-not's are her favorite flowers.  
>Nicknames: The Last Frontier ; Land of the Midnight Sun<br>State Motto: North to the Future  
>Joke "State Motto": Jeez, it's Cold<br>State sport: Dog mushing

**Hawaii** - Leilani Jones - hazel green eyes - dark brown hair - wears a hibiscus in her hair  
>Capital: Honolulu (on Oahu)<br>Home to many volcanoes, though she rarely looses her temper. When she does, everyone knows to stay out of her way until she cools down. She looks the part of a sweet girl with the flowers in her hair and her rather relaxed view of things. She enjoys surfing, diving, and boating. She loves her traditions and actively takes part in them, hoping to extend the life of her mother (Kingdom of Hawaii).  
>Really wishes some of the other States would stop poking fun at the name of several of her mother's Kings. (Kamehameha)<br>She has the highest number of Asian immigrants as well as the highest percentage of Multiracial Americans.  
>Like Arizona, she does not observe Daylight Savings Time.<br>She feels awkward when she has to visit the mainland states, partly because she's so used to being surrounded by water and partly because she's forced to wear closed-toe shoes and stiff "professional" clothing.  
>Nickname: The Aloha State<br>State Motto: _Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono_ (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)__  
><em>_Joke "State Mottos": Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money) ; Come surfing because we love your hilarious You Tube vids  
>State flower: yellow hibiscus<p> 


	12. Unscheduled Interlude

**As an apology for taking forever to write the next chapter, I give you mini-stories.  
><strong>I promise I am working on the next chapter, it's just taking me much, much longer than I would like. I wrote this a few weeks ago because I wanted to write something for people on the Hetalia Events Community and was in the mood to write about states. I got three requests, so I wrote them in class that day.

So I'll post them here for you all to enjoy while you're waiting on the next chapter. Think of it as an unscheduled interlude.

* * *

><p><strong>Texas <strong>

Texas loved days off.

As much as he loved working on and running his ranch, the rare moments he was able to take a break from work and not have to deal with his crazy, wonderful family at the same time were very much a welcome relief. It was refreshing to just be able to sit back and relax as if he hadn't a care in the world.

He sighed contentedly as he laid back on a grassy hill, using his rarely-worn cowboy hat to shield his brown eyes from the blazing sun. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing well-toned forearms, but his jeans covered his legs entirely and fell over top his steel-toed boots.

Heavy panting caught his attention and Texas turned his head slightly to watch as his dog padded up the hill, tongue lolling from his mouth, and then settled down in the grass a few feet away. Texas couldn't help but chuckle.

"Enjoy it while ya can, Dallas. We'll be back to work this evenin'," he murmured, casting his eyes back to the endless blue eyes. "S'nice ta have a day without Kentucky droppin' by in all her sequins 'n whatnot. That chica is crazy..."

Dallas woofed in agreement.

"Mmmhmmm... 'klahoma too," Texas murmured lazily. He stretched his arms out over his head. "None o' that talk 'bout oil today." He slid his arms down and folded them beneath the back of his head, using them as a cushion. "Just a nice, relaxin' day. We oughta have more of these." His eyelids slid shut and he didn't bother correcting it, content to rest and enjoy the feel of the sun on his body.

* * *

><p><strong>Ontario<strong>

As much as he liked to claim his position of "peace keeper" amongst his brothers and sisters, it couldn't be further from the truth. It wasn't that he fought or disagreed with all of them. For the most part, he got along with each of them.

Just not Quebec.

Quebec was the one person who never failed to get him riled up. It didn't matter what he was doing. His very presence set Ontario on edge.

He grumbled to himself as he threw a dart across the room at a photograph of Quebec which he'd pinned to a dart board. "_'Nation within a united nation'_, what bullshit is that?" He smirked when the dart hit Quebec's eye. He reached into his drawer for another one.

"Ontario, I brought food!" Canada announced as he opened the office door. He blinked in surprise at the sight of his son slouching in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk, preparing to throw another dart. He raised an eyebrow at the target. "Rough day?"

"You could say that," Ontario replied, removing his feet and sitting up straight. He stowed the dart away in the drawer and then began straightening things on his desk, wanting to make room for lunch. "So, uh, food?"

Canada grinned and held up a box with cursive lettering in French on the front of it.

Ontario scowled. "Cute, dad. Real cute."

"I thought you'd like it," Canada said teasingly. He walked over and set the box down on the desk before dragging over a hard-backed chair to sit on. "It's English food, by the way."

At that, Ontario couldn't help but laugh.

No matter what sort of mood he was in, a visit from his dad could always cheer him up.

* * *

><p><strong>Ohio<strong>

It didn't really matter to him that his siblings thought he was plain and a little boring. It didn't even bother him all that much when they forgot about him. What annoyed him was how even he was hard pressed to name something interesting about himself.

He was totally cool! And interesting!

He was the birthplace of aviation! (Take _that_ Connecticut!) He had been a state unofficially for one-hundred fifty years before someone found out about it! (Okay, so that wasn't really a good thing...)

Ohio jumped up into his chair, punching his fist into the air enthusiastically. "My state fruit's the tomato!" His chair tilted and then fell sideways, sending him sprawling to the floor. "Owww..." He groaned as his stomach growled. "Am I hungry or was that an earthquake...? I do want a tomato now..." He continued to lie on the floor for a moment before getting up to amble into the kitchen for food.

He'd think of something interesting later.

* * *

><p>End mini-stories<p>

* * *

><p>Ohio is a pretty interesting state, I just couldn't think of much when I was writing his part since all of my notes were on my computer. What I mentioned is all I had written down on paper, which didn't amount to much help when I was trying to write him. So in the end he became the "Canada" of my states. Poor thing.<p>

Have I mentioned how much I love writing Texas's accent?


	13. Southern Quartet

**The 11th State**

_10. Southern Quartet_

It was rare that they wanted to visit him. Or rather, it was rare that they found time to visit him. His southern states were surprisingly busy people, though he supposed that was largely due to the fact that many of them owned their own ranches or orchards or farms and needed to be there whenever they didn't have state business to take care of.

America hummed the Star Spangled Banner as he heated up a pot of water and dug up a box of tea bags Virginia had left behind after her last visit. With any luck, he would have enough sugar to make it as sweet as the four states liked.

He glanced into the next room, where he knew England was sitting at the table, enjoying the morning sunlight with a cup of hot tea and a book. He hoped his boyfriend wouldn't mind the company they would soon receive. He'd mentioned that they may have guests when he talked to England on the phone the week before, but he wasn't sure if England remembered that.

Personally, he wanted to hurry up and get the introductions over with so he wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted when they wanted some time alone together. If only New York had never barged into his house that one morning while on the run from Delaware and Massachusetts. (Admittedly, he was thankful it was her and not, say, the two she was hiding from.)

Had he been listening carefully and not let his humming evolve into quiet singing, he would have heard the sound of a car pull down the driveway as well as someone yelling loudly. And it only figured that he knocked the pot lid and one of his pans to the ground with his elbow at the exact moment the doorbell rang and therefore didn't hear it. Neither did he hear England's heavy sigh as he abandoned his tea and book to go answer the door.

America quickly put the lid back on the counter near the sink, making a mental note to clean it instead of putting it directly away.

As he turned his back to the doorway to check the boiling water, still quietly singing, two people ran into the room and jumped onto America from behind. He yelped and fell over, miraculously not knocking anything over. The two people laughed.

America caught sight of short, light brown hair and grinned, knowing who had caught him off guard. "Brody."

The brunet grinned back. "Hey, dad."

"Me too!" Spoke up someone else - a blond boy with a multitude of small freckles decorating his well-tanned face. "I'm here too!"

America laughed. "If you'd get your hand away from my eye, I'd know that, kiddo."

The blond quickly apologized and both of the States moved so their dad could sit up and hug them properly. They knew he didn't mind a little roughhousing, but even America could get hurt by two overeager States.

"Ya'll need to grow up."

America didn't need to look to see who was speaking, but he did so anyway, beaming at his two visiting daughters. One was a blonde who looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else. The other was a brunette who wore her hair tied up and had a golden crown affixed to the base of her ponytail. She was holding a basket of fruit with yellow-orange fuzzy skin

He flinched slightly when he spotted England standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest and an annoyed expression on his face. America laughed uneasily. "I guess you all met England."

The two boys coughed in what was unmistakably a way to hide the fact that they were laughing.

America raised an eyebrow. "What'd I miss?"

The blond-haired boy leaned over and whispered: "Georgia thought he was Virginia and started going on about how her taste in clothing and hair-style gets worse every day."

America tried his very best not to laugh, but failed, much to the annoyance of the brown-haired girl. He cleared his throat once he got himself under control and apologized to her. "Are those peaches?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Georgia replied. "But I don't know if I want to give them to you, if you're going to laugh at my misfortune. You'll be lucky if I agree to make peach cobbler."

Before America could utter a word, the two male States chimed in unison "No! Not the cobbler! Anything but the cobbler!"

Georgia glared at them, narrowing her warm brown eyes. Her lips pressed into a severe frown when her brothers dissolved into chuckles, which only made them laugh more.

"Alright, alright. Leave her alone you two," America said, ruffling their hair affectionately. He got to his feet and then helped up the boys, who hid behind him in mock fear of their sister's wrath. He smiled weakly at England, who stared back with his unchanging annoyed expression. "Er, right. England, these two are Mississippi and Alabama - that is, _he_, is Alabama-" (He pointed to the fair-haired of the two boys.) "-and Mississippi." He gestured to the brunet boy. He quickly stepped away from the two to affectionately put his arm around Georgia. "And this is my wonderful Georgia who grows the best peaches in the world and wouldn't _ever_ deny me some of her delicious peach cobbler."

She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching up into a small smile. "Flattery will get you nowhere, dad."

America quickly kissed her on the cheek and then moved to hug the remaining unintroduced State. Rather than welcome the embrace like the others, she took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. Hurt flashed briefly across America's face. "And last we have the lovely South Carolina, twin to North Carolina."

England managed a strained smile. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"At least he's polite," South Carolina said, brushing past America to walk over to the stove and see what he was cooking. "I see you've finally learned how to properly make iced tea."

"Er, yeah." America bit his lip to keep from saying that Virginia had spent the day teaching him. The last thing he wanted was to set Georgia off.

"Nah, I bet he still can't make it right," Alabama teased. "He won't make it nearly sweet enough for ya'll's tastes."

America pouted.

"Good thing we're here," Georgia said haughtily, joining South Carolina at the stove. She glanced back at her father with a slight smirk. "You and England can go relax. We'll handle things in here."

"But you're my guests!" America protested.

Mississippi patted his dad on the shoulder and gave him a gentle push towards England. "You should know better than to try and argue with those two. Once they get their minds set on somethin' there's no changing it." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Besides that, England looks a little ticked off. Might be good for you to have a little chat."

Realizing his twentieth State was right, America nodded and walked over to England to lead him away. His kitchen would be fine in the hands of the two girls. He'd be a little more worried if it was only Alabama and Mississippi in there, but Georgia and South Carolina were good cooks.

"You could have warned me that they were coming," England muttered as he marched past his lover, leading the way up the stairs. "I would have liked to prepare myself for meeting them."

America winced, knowing he'd messed up. "I mentioned it a week or so ago… but I should've told you today. Sorry about that." He tried to smile at his boyfriend, but the Briton was stubbornly avoiding looking at him. America searched his mind for a way to set things right - to make it so England wasn't quite so annoyed with him. "We'll have some time before they finish making lunch. I can tell you a little about them!"

England silently walked into the bedroom and America assumed he was planning on changing from his leisure clothes into something more "proper". Personally, America saw nothing wrong with the worn jeans and t-shirt his boyfriend was wearing.

Sure enough, England went straight for the drawers he kept extra clothes in.

"Mississippi's name is Brody and Alabama is Daniel. They spend most of their free time together or with the girls. I've lost count of how many inside jokes those two have. Georgia's name is Belle. You've probably heard Virginia mention her a few times. They don't get along too well. Actually, Georgia has a hard time getting along with practically everyone. Her and Tennessee are fighting over something right now - their shared border, I think. South Carolina's name is Hilary. She and North Caro-"

"America," England interrupted, tossing a clean, button-down shirt at his boyfriend. "You're changing too."

The American blinked in surprise and looked down at what he was wearing. Were his jeans and 'Who is your hero?' t-shirt really so bad?

"England, they're just my kids. They've seen me run around in my boxers before - only because they sometimes burst in unannounced. They're not going to care if you don't dress up for them."

"I've already made a poor first impression," England said as he pulled on a pair of charcoal gray trousers. "There's no harm in looking nice." He shot an acidic glare at America. "Put it on or I'll make you put it on."

America gulped and did as he was told, quickly tugging off his t-shirt to put on the nicer one. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

There was a long moment of silence and then England sighed heavily. "No. Just… don't try to surprise me like that again. I was rather looking forward to a quiet day together. It seems as though we're always being interrupted by someone lately."

America relaxed, happy to hear that. It also gave him a chance to announce their next travel destination without needing to wait for the right moment to bring it up. "Well, I already know Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands want us to visit. Connecticut has some free time and can fly us down there in two weeks. Is that okay?"

England frowned. "Are those states?"

"Nah, they're two of my territories," America corrected. "They've been begging for me to visit since Florida told them we're dating. Or at least Catharina has. I figure now's the perfect time. You'll want to prepare for some hot weather. We're probably going to Catharina's and she lives right on the beach, so it gets a decent breeze off the water, but it's still pretty hot." He finished buttoning his shirt and looked to England to see if there was anything else the European wanted to throw at him.

There wasn't.

"So what do we do while they're cooking?" England asked.

America grinned. "We go make funny faces at Alabama and Mississippi so they get distracted and Georgia kicks them out. Then we can, I dunno, play cards or something. Sound good?"

Though he looked unsure, England agreed and they set off for downstairs.

* * *

><p>Lunch began well enough.<p>

The boys made it through several rounds of _Uno_ before the girls called them to the table to eat. America, Alabama, and Mississippi had sprinted to the table, pushing and shoving one another like a couple of overgrown children. England followed at a much calmer pace.

Though the tea was much too sweet, not to mention cold (England would never understand how anyone could prefer ice cold tea over deliciously hot), the conversation was pleasant.

Georgia told stories of her peach orchard and how frustrated she got with some of her new workers for the year - students who apparently needed to be watched every minute, else they do something they weren't supposed to. She had much nicer stories about her bulldog, Augustus, and his newest antics.

Alabama spent a few minutes talking about his part-time work in the medical field, which was eating up whatever free time he had. At one point, America jokingly referred to him as "Dr. Alabama", which made the blond blush and change the subject.

South Carolina took over, talking about everything from her personal garden to how much she hated snow to how annoying North Carolina could be. She spent the longest time talking with England about her plants for her gardens and how she wanted to expand it in the spring along with tearing the plants out of the front of her house to put in new ones.

Mississippi didn't have much to say. He got through one humorous story about the crazy things he and Louisiana got into one weekend in search of a rare magnolia cultivar and then everyone fell silent as they finished the last bites of food still left on their plates.

"That was delicious," England told the girls.

Both of them smiled sincerely and said, almost in perfect unison: "Thank you."

"I hope you're not full," Georgia continued. "We've still got the cobbler to eat."

America perked up. "It's done already?"

"I made one yesterday because I knew you wouldn't be able to wait," Georgia explained. "I'll make yours before I leave." She stood up and began gathering plates.

Alabama and Mississippi got up to help her, feeling that it was the least they could do after they ditched her and South Carolina in the kitchen earlier. America and England tried to help, but Georgia told them not to worry about it.

The table was quickly cleared and it was only a few minutes before the four States returned from the kitchen carrying plates of Georgia's homemade dessert. America and the boys dug in immediately, while England and the girls watched them for a brief moment before they bean to eat as well.

Everything was fine until South Carolina cleared her throat.

England saw America flinch out of the corner of his eye, and cast a quick, inquisitive look at his boyfriend, who slowly stopped eating and stared down at his peach cobbler

"I want to secede."

America clenched one hand under the table, tightly gripping his pants. "No," he said harshly, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to lift another forkful of cobbler to his mouth. It tasted sickeningly sweet and he had a hard time swallowing.

South Carolina narrowed her eyes. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Actually, he can," Mississippi said loudly. He didn't elaborate.

"You can't keep bringing this up whenever you're in a bad mood," Georgia hissed at her sister. "Drop it, Hilary. Now's not the time or place."

Knowing South Carolina would sulk for the rest of the day, which would keep America feeling sad, Alabama knew he had to do something to lighten the mood. In times like those, there was only one thing that could keep South Carolina's attention and put her in a more sociable mood.

He checked his wristwatch, making the action as obvious as possible. "Hmm… Isn't there a race on today?"

South Carolina was gone in the blink of an eye. Seconds later, they could hear the television cut on and soon the roaring of car engines filled the air.

America smiled gratefully at Alabama. "Thanks."

Alabama winked and gave a thumbs up as he stood and gather his and South Carolina's plates. "No problem, dad. I'm gonna go keep her company."

"Sorry about Hilary," Georgia apologized as her younger brother left. "She didn't really want to come after North set her off the other day, but I didn't want to visit without her. We should've postponed our trip."

America reached over and patted her hand. "It's okay, Belle. It's my fault too." He shook his head when she and Mississippi began to voice their protest. "It is. D.C. warned me that she was in one of her moods, but I didn't listen. I was just hoping she'd be happier once she actually got here."

"Give her a half hour and then go talk to her about NASCAR," Georgia suggested. She prodded her cobbler with her fork, about to take another bite when an idea hit her. "Y'know what else would cheer her up?"

America looked puzzled as he thought over her question, while a grin slowly spread across Mississippi's face. England looked just as puzzled as America, if not more.

"I'll call Anna," Mississippi said.

* * *

><p>When Delaware arrived, she brought with her an obnoxiously bright pink catapult which was covered in paint splatters. It looked as though there may have once been a name painted along the side, but it had since been covered up. For some reason, she also had several crates of overripe fruits and vegetables, which Mississippi and America were in the process of lifting out of the bed of her truck.<p>

"Dare I ask what this is all about?" England asked.

Delaware patted the catapult affectionately. "Back home we hold a little competition called Punkin Chunkin every November. Since I'm a State, I'm not really allowed to join it, so me and the other States build our own and get together to have our own contest. The only difference is that we're only allowed to build catapults."

"We divide ourselves in groups based on region," Georgia said. "This one belongs to the Northeast and was last years winner. The Southeast one is still in the process of getting repaired. Or it's supposed to be. Did you ever decide on a name for this?" She asked Delaware.

The northern State rolled her eyes. "No. Every time we tried we started arguing about something unrelated. Last time Maryland wanted to name it the 'Pink Hero' and then Rhode Island announced he was hungry and the next thing I knew, New York and Massachusetts were into their infamous subs versus grinders argument and that was the end of it."

England furrowed his brows. "What do you use them for?"

"Chunkin' stuff," Georgia replied with a grin. "We take that fruit and put it in the slingshotty bit and then crank it up and let 'em fly! Whoever can get theirs to fly the furthest wins."

"New York likes using it to fling stuff over into Quebec's land," Delaware said solemnly. "Or at him whenever he's on this side of the border for a meeting."

"Remember the time she slung canned dog food at 'im?" Mississippi called over, overhearing their conversation.

Delaware rolled her eyes. "What I remember is her slinging cow manure at him. It took ages for me to get it to stop stinking." Noticing England eying the pink catapult with a weary expression, she added. "Not this one. It's predecessor that Connecticut and Massachusetts broke because they cranked it too hard and the springs snapped when they released it."

"Wasn't that the same one they managed to flip upside down?" America asked as he set down the last crate of overripe food.

"I _still_ don't know how they managed that one," Delaware muttered.

Georgia and Mississippi exchanged amused looks, thankful the worst that had ever happened to their catapult was it's unfortunate malfunction right after their last Chunkin' contest was over. No one was really to blame for it, though that didn't stop them from arguing over who had broken it.

With the crates unpacked, Mississippi vanished into the house to retrieve their missing siblings while Delaware began crooning to her catapult how she'd never leave it alone with her two troublemaking northern brothers again. The brown-haired boy soon returned with his lighter-haired siblings, talking animatedly with Alabama. South Carolina was scowling until she laid eyes on the catapult. She appeared to struggle with herself for a moment before smiling.

The change in her demeanour was startling to England, but not to anyone else.

"Who's going first?" Delaware loudly asked once she stopped baby-talking the vivid pink contraption.

"Me!" South Carolina volunteered, stretching her hand into the air and waving it. "I want to do it!" She jogged over and pulled out a few mangos from one of the crates. "I bet I can get 'em over those trees!" She bragged, pointing to a gathering of small pines about fifty feet away.

While her siblings judged how far the trees were and Delaware quickly ran the distance to measure it out herself, South Carolina tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced shyly up at America. While England couldn't hear what she was saying, he could read her lip movements.

"_I'm sorry, dad."_

America beamed and tugged her forward into a hug, not caring about smashing the fruits between them. South Carolina made a face when they separated to find mango juice leaking all over her hands and shirt, but laughed when she playfully smeared the worst fruit across America's shirt.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Georgia asked England. "If there's one thing that can cheer any one of us up, it's the chance to fling fruit around. And, well, the added bonus of competing and showing off for someone who isn't family makes it even sweeter." She grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go show them just what they're up against."

England could only watch in disbelief as fruits and vegetables began flying through the air amidst the cheers of America and the States.

* * *

><p>End chapter<p>

* * *

><p>This was the chapter that didn't want to get finished. This is either the 3rd or 4th revision.<p>

I think I promised someone I'd bring back North Carolina for this chapter, but once I started writing I realized I couldn't do that. It would've made South's mood way worse. So instead I brought back Delaware so I could introduce her love for Punkin Chunkin (which is a real thing, by the way.)

Launching things with a catapult will always cheer up the States. _Always._

**Georgia **- Belle Jones - brown hair - brown eyes - wears a crown pinned to the base of her ponytail  
>Capital: Atlanta<br>Headstrong, stubborn, sticks to her beliefs. Can come off as being a bitch. Tries to act like a proper Southern gal, wears cute dresses and always has her hair styled just right. Puts a lot of stock in appearances. At the same time, she has her own peach orchard and doesn't mind going outside and working in the humidity and heat. Cannot stand snow.  
>She and Virginia very rarely get along. She prefers spending her time with South Carolina and other "true" southern states.<br>Nickname(s): Peach State ; Empire State of the South  
>State Motto: Wisdom, justice, and moderation<br>Joke "State Motto": We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism

**South Carolina** - Hilary Jones - blonde hair - blue eyes  
>Capital: Columbia<br>A bit more serious than her more northern twin, she frequently disagrees with America and it's not uncommon for her to threaten to secede again. She's a tough girl who's withstood time. In the beginning, people found it tough to settle in her lands and many of the first colonies failed. She has the only commercial tea plantation in America.  
>Gets along quite well with Georgia and argues frequently with with NC.<br>Nickname: Palmetto State  
>State Motto(es): <em>Animis opibusque parati<em> (Prepared in mind and resources) **and **_Dum spiro spero _(While I breathe, I hope)  
>Joke "State Motto": Remember The Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender<p>

**Alabama **- Daniel Jones - wavy blond hair - brown eyes - freckles  
>Capital: Montgomery<br>Rather laid-back, calm, with a love for teasing his sisters and encouraging SC and GA to have a little fun. Rather flirtacious. Has a slight crush on Kentucky, though he pretends to flirt with her just to annoy her. He and WV banter back and forth whenever they get together. Has a degree in medicine and can often be found volunteering his services at various hospitals in his spare time.  
>Nickname: Yellowhammer State<br>State Motto: _Audemus jura nostra defendere_ (We dare defend our rights)  
>Joke "State Motto": Yes, We Have Electricity<p>

**Mississippi **- Brody Jones - light brown hair - brown eyes  
>Capital: Jackson<br>Quiet and laid back, he's often annoyed by Alabama, who tries to drag him into all sorts of mischief. Despite that, he's an optimist. Often clueless about what's going on. Loves magnolia trees. Has a very large, very old Southern Magnolia in his front yard. Cotton remains the largest cash crop, though it's balanced out by other crops in recent times. (Texas leads the US in cotton production, Alabama is second.) He is the world's leading producer of pond-raised catfish.  
>Nickname: Magnolia State<br>State Motto: _Virtute et armis _(By valor and arms)  
>Joke "State Motto": Come And Feel Better About Your Own State<p> 


	14. Almost Canadian

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYONE! Here's a chapter to celebrate.

**The 11th State**

_Almost Canadian_

"We're here!" America announced as he threw open the front door. He dragged England into the house without pause, heading down the hall in search of his kids. "Hey, uh, Keith! Where are you?"

A small, slim girl with short, straight blonde hair and violet eyes stepped out from around a corner, her lips tugged up in a slight smile. "Good afternoon, papa."

"Abigail!" America cried in delight, releasing England's hand to go rushing over and enwrap the tiny girl in a hug. He let go of her after a few seconds and gestured England forward. "Abby, this is England. England, meet Maine!"

"Hello," greeted England.

Beaming, America wrapped an arm around Maine's shoulders and gently steered her back into the room she came from. "So where's- Ah! Steven! You're already here too! England, come meet Steven!"

England followed them into the room and wasn't too surprised to find himself in a kitchen. It seemed as though no matter which State they went to visit, they always gravitated towards that room of the house.

Sitting at the kitchen table was another blond. Even from a glance, England could tell that he was bigger than Maine, though he had the same hair and eye color. Unlike Maine, he wore glasses, which he pushed further up onto his nose as he looked up from his book.

"Hey, dad," he greeted warmly, standing up to accept a hug from his dad. He was maybe a centimeter shorter than America.

"Steve! You got a hair cut! Looks good!" America complimented.

Steven reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks. I'm still getting used to it, but with it short like this it'll stop getting tangled in my ski goggles. Which reminds me, you've _got _to come up to the ski lodge this year. I've just bought a new one to renovate and it won't be ready for public use this winter, but I'll have it fixed up enough that it's liveable. I'm just asking for a week or so. England can come too," he added, nodding at the older Nation. His attention swayed from America to England in one fluid motion. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Steven, the state of Vermont."

England walked over and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Keith should be down in a minute or so. He said he had to go do something upstairs," Maine said as she sat down at the table.

As soon as she got settled in her seat, a large cat with the fluffiest tail England had ever seen jumped up into her lap. Maine smiled and gently petted the cat as it sat down and turned its large orange eyes on Vermont, who looked distinctly uncomfortable by its gaze.

"Did you _have_ to bring those cats?" Vermont asked, exasperated. He flinched as a second one crept out of hiding to rub against his legs.

Maine smirked. "I can't just leave them alone at home. Besides, they like traveling with me."

Vermont grumbled under his breath while America chuckled and directed England to take a seat. A third cat jumped up onto the table, slinking over to sniff at England before deeming him worthy of attention. England patted the cat on the head as it purred and rubbed against him.

"So how's life at the lighthouse, Abby?" America asked, sitting down and scooting closer to England. "It's getting close to time to move out, isn't it? You've been there for almost ten years."

Main nodded sullenly. "Unfortunately. I've already begun to make plans. I know of a few people interested in keeping it running…"

England let his mind wander as the States and America continued talking about the lighthouse before moving on to other topics. When a short, brown-haired boy walked into the room holding a phone to his ear and wearing a fierce scowl, he seemed to be the only one who noticed. The other three carried on with their conversation without so much as a pause.

"Steven!" The brunet barked, effectively ending the conversation about maple syrup.

Vermont blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw his brother's annoyed expression.

"Just call Allison already! I swear, the one time she remembers I exist and it's only because she knows you're over here! I'm sick of her calling my house! And I swear if Cain starts doing it too, I'm tossing you out! And good luck getting a ride from someone who isn't Allison or Cain!" He paused his rant to take a few rapid breaths and then turned away to mutter something to whoever he was on the phone with. Once he hung up, he took another few minutes to collect himself before forcing himself to smile and turning back around to face America. "Hey, dad. Sorry I wasn't down here to greet you. Someone told Allie that Steve's visiting and kept calling every five minutes. I had to talk some sense into her."

America chuckled and stood so he could hug the state. The top of the teen's head barely came up to his nose. "England, this is Keith - state of Ohio. He's normally not this angry."

Those words got choked laughter from the state. "Yeah, you didn't get me on my best day," he admitted. "I swear New York does this on pur_pose."_ He finished flatly as his phone began to ring.

"She _does_ do it on purpose," America loudly whispered to England.

"Shut up," Ohio muttered as he lifted the phone back to his ear. "What now?" He demanded, only to go pale seconds later. "O-oh hey, Penny. Sorry about that. New York just rang me about twelve times in one hour. I'm sure you understand." He cast an apologetic look in America's direction and then ducked out of the room to talk to his sister in peace.

America grinned and nudged England. "Hey, wanna see him freak out?"

Vermont and Maine suddenly became very interested in talking about the weather. Clearly they wanted nothing to do with their father's shenanigans. England took his cue from them and shook his head.

"This is supposed to be a nice, quiet visit," he reminded America. "Don't start trouble."

America pouted and sat back down, slumping in his chair.

"It'd be nice to have a nice, quiet visit for once," Maine said in a wistful tone. The cat in her lap meowed loudly and she gently scratched behind its ears.

Someone buzzed and Vermont fished his cell phone from his pocket to check the new message. He frowned as he read it, then rolled his eyes and snapped it shut. "Cain has promised to keep Allison from driving over, but only on the condition that I go to the bar with him on Saturday. As if I'd really agree to that."

"New Hampshire and New York are the least of our worries right now," Maine said. "It would take them several hours to arrive anyway. The one who we really have to worry about is-"

Something heavy thumped against the window on the other side of the kitchen. Everyone turned to look and saw a grinning man with his face plastered against the window, his hair covered up by a baseball hat.

"Dwayne," Maine finished flatly. She sighed and lowered her eyes. "So much for our relaxing visit."

England's confusion must have shown on his face, because America, done with his sulking, leaned over to explain things.

"Dwayne is Michigan."

England waited for further explanation.

He got none.

Dwayne easily slid open the window and crawled into the house, his violet eyes glittering with mirth. He brushed off his jeans and tugged down his plain t-shirt before sliding on a pair of glasses. "Don't mind me, family! I'm just here to steal Keith's beer and leave behind post-it notes shaped like cars."

"Today's not a good day, Dwayne," Vermont said. "Keith's already in a bad mood. I'd hate to see what he'd do if he sees you here."

Dwayne smirked. "Hey, the pipsqueak should be honored that I've decided to grace his house with my presence. Besides, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to see dad and officially meet his boyfriend just because Keith doesn't want me around. What's he crying about this time anyway?"

"Allison keeps calling every five minutes to try and talk to Vermont," Maine said, unable to keep a trace of amusement from her voice.

Dwayne snorted and opened the fridge, grabbing the first glass bottle he could find. "Oh, sweet! Root beer! Even better!"

Maine rolled her eyes and turned her attention to one of her three cats as it pawed at her leg. Vermont groaned but was unable to look away from what was shaping up to be the 125th battle between Michigan and Ohio that year.

It just figured that the exact moment Michigan popped off the top of his drink and took a swig was when Ohio walked back into the room. The shorter state stopped in his tracks and narrowed his light brown eyes.

"Hey, pipsqueak," Michigan greeted with a smirk.

If Ohio seemed angry before, it was nothing compared to the rage that overcame him in that moment. "Is that _my_ root beer?"

Michigan took another gulp. "Yup. The last one."

"_God damn it!"_

England could only watch, stunned, as Ohio tackled Michigan to the ground, knocking the bottle from his hand. It shattered on the floor and Michigan took a few seconds to mourn the loss of his drink before remembering that he had 145 pounds of older brother on his chest ready to beat the shit out of him.

Vermont and Maine were unperturbed by their behavior. America was chuckling as he watched the fight.

"Shouldn't you stop them?" England asked.

Michigan elbowed Ohio in the gut so he could squirm out from under him.

"Nah, why would I do that? They're fine," America said, unconcerned.

Ohio recovered quickly, grabbing Michigan's legs to keep him from getting up. The soda soaked their clothes as they scooted around and the shards of glass dug into their skin, drawing blood.

"If you say so…" England murmured, a little concerned.

The two boys began rolling around on the floor, kicking and punching and pulling each other's hair. Michigan's hat got knocked aside during the scuffle, revealing curly, golden-brown hair. They got increasingly violent the longer they were allowed to continue.

After a few minutes had passed with no end in sight, America finally stood up and stepped into the fight. He easily pulled the two apart, somehow avoiding Ohio's flailing limbs. Michigan struggled at first, but stopped once he caught sight of the look on his father's face.

"Keith, calm down," America ordered. "That's enough."

"He took my last drink!" Ohio complained, trying to pull free.

"And he'll buy you some more." America gave Michigan a harsh look, which had the teen nodding vigorously. Pleased, America released the younger state, but continued holding Ohio, unsure of how he'd react. "See, everything's going to be fine. Now lets sit down and talk. It's not often that I get to see you kids together. Surely you can handle being near one another for a few hours."

Michigan picked his hat up off the floor and shook it off, frowning at the soda soaked into the brim. "I'll be back. I need to wash this."

America waited until Michigan was out of the room before he let go of Ohio and tightly crossed his arms over his chest. "You two have _got_ to stop doing this. Not even Oregon and Washington act like this. Even Virginia and Georgia can manage being in the same room without fighting. No, shut up! I'll lecture Michigan later!" He paused to breathe. Aware that Vermont, Maine, and England were listening from the table, he lowered his voice when he began talking again. "Keith, you know better. You can't let him bait you like this all the time. You're his older brother. Act like it."

Ohio lowered his head, looking thoroughly chastised.

Pleased that his message had gotten through, America clapped Ohio on the back and grinned. "So, now we just have to figure out what to eat! I was thinking we could order pizza! It's fast, easy, something everyone can agree on. And if you and Michigan decide to disagree on toppings, then we'll get more than one. Or just a plain cheese pizza and then everyone can add whatever-the-hell toppings they want using things in your fridge! You've got things in your fridge this time, right? It's not going to be like the last time you invited me over and you had two beers and a block of cheese? Because that kind of sucked."

"I brought lobster," Maine spoke up.

"And I brought maple syrup," said Vermont.

Maine rolled her eyes. "That's not food, Steve."

"Lobster doesn't equate a meal, Abby," Vermont responded.

"Don't you two start," America said with warmth in his voice. He knew he had nothing to worry about with the two of them. As Michigan walked back into the room, he asked: "So… pizza?"

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>And just a reminder, since it's been a while - Cain is New Hampshire and Allison is New York.

**Vermont** - Steven Jones - light purple eyes, glasses - straight, light blond hair, just long enough to tie back at the base of his neck  
>Capital: Montpelier<br>Sandwiched between NY and NH, he avoids his older siblings at any cost. He doesn't know what they want with him, but he knows it's not good. (In recent times, they just try to get him drunk.) He was his own mini-country (the Vermont Republic) for 14 years. (The original 13, Hawaii, Texas, and (briefly) California, once also had their own sovereign governments.)  
>He is the biggest producer of maple syrup in the U.S., which he is very proud of. He is very fond of Canada, having once been part of New France. Also has a large French and French Canadian ancestry groups, followed by English, Irish, and German.<br>He's another State big on outdoor activities, particularly winter sports. The only reason he cuts his hair as short as he does is because it gets tangled in his ski goggles if he doesn't.  
>Like Maine, he tends to stick to himself, but he especially avoids NY and NH, since they alternate between teasing him and arguing over him. He's very proud to be the biggest producer of maple syrup in the U.S. and pours it on just about everything. He's never without a bottle of it. His siblings and America have come to expect receiving gifts involving maple syrup. Unlike Maine, he doesn't spend his days sitting alone at home. He goes out and does all sorts of outdoor activities - winter sports are his favorites.<br>His state tree is the sugar maple.  
>Nickname: Green Mountain State<br>State Motto: Freedom and Unity  
>Joke "State Motto": Yep<p>

**Maine** - Abigail Sabrina Jones - deep blue eyes - straight, light blonde hair, cut straight a few inches above her shoulders  
>Capital: Augusta<br>Was once an exclave of Massachusetts.  
>Famous for her lighthouses and beaches. She's somewhat of a reclusive State and iswas home to numerous horror writers (like Stephen King). She'll happily supply her family with lobster when they come to visit. She has the only National Park in New England (Acadia National Park). Very heavily forested (89% of her land), turns out many wood products. One of the world's leaders in pulp-paper production. Also leads the world in production of tins of sardines. In 2005, Maine lobstermen landed nearly 63 million pounds of lobster.  
>She has a town named Alfred.<br>Largest ancestry: English (then French)  
>Also has a large amount of good spring water, naturally filtered. (all thanks to glaciers)<br>Her three maine coon cats are her constant companions.  
>A calm, quiet State who prefers being by herself. When she's around her siblings, a more witty, sarcastic side breaks free. When she visits family members, she brings gifts of lobster with her. At home, she spends her days living in a light house with her cats, reading horrorsuspense stories and trying to write her own.  
>Nickname: Pine Tree State<br>State Motto: _Dirigo_ (I lead)  
>Joke "State Motto": We're Really Cold, but We Have Cheap Lobster<p>

**Ohio** - Keith Jones - brown eyes - straight brown hair  
>Capital: Columbus<br>Kind of a plain State who blends into the background. (Was unnofficially a state for 150 years until a Congressman realized he'd never officially become a state. It was corrected August 17, 1953.) He doesn't seem to be well known for anything except his flat lands. He has a surprising number of earthquakes, but most of them are of such a low magnatude that they're unnoticeable.  
>He has a large percentage of people with German ancestry.<br>The Wright brothers hailed from Ohio, earning him the slogan of "Birthplace of Aviation".  
>His state fruit is the tomato and the state drink is tomato juice.<br>Ohio is one of the nation's industrial leaders.  
>He and Michigan argue all the time. When they were young, they were rather close, but as Michigan grew up and got taller than him, their friendship fell apart. Still, Michigan is one of the few who has always remembers who he is and tries to get him involved in family activities.<br>Compared to his surrounding states, he sometimes feels inadequate and is often forgotten. It's gotten so bad that when he tries to talk about things he's famous for, he can't think of anything. He and America assume it's because of the hiccup where he was unofficially a state for 150 years. He really likes tomatoes and enjoys grossing out his siblings by drinking bottles of tomato juice in front of them. When he and Michigan get together, there's no avoiding many fights.  
>Nickname: Buckeye State<br>State Motto: With God all things are possible  
>Joke "State Motto": At Least We're Not Michigan<br>State fruit: Tomato  
>State beverage: Tomato juice<p>

**Michigan** - Dwayne Jones - violet eyes - curly, golden brown. disjointed curl  
>Capital: Lansing<br>He loves boating and fishing and water sports in general.  
>He is the leading car manufacturing state in the U.S.<br>Bordering on four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan is divided into Upper and Lower peninsulas by the Straits of Mackinac, which link lakes Michigan and Huron. The two parts of the state are connected by the Mackinac Bridge, one of the world's longest suspension bridges. To the north, connecting lakes Superior and Huron, are the busy Sault Ste. Marie Canals.  
>He is a leading producer of Christmas trees.<br>He has the largest Dutch, Finnish, and Macedonian populations in the U.S.  
>He is second to California in his diversity of agriculture. He is the leading grower of fruit.<br>He's always very busy during tourist season.  
>His state animal is the wolverine.<br>He gets teased a lot for "practically being Canadian", which greatly amuses him. He is something of a gearhead and loves seeing what new cars are being built, but he also enjoys things like boating and fishing and water sports. In December, he likes visiting Christmas tree farms and watching all of the families pick out their trees. He believes wolverine's still live in his lands and that one of them is in his backyard. Sometimes he catches a glimpse of it. He calls it "Mackinac". He purposely picks fights with Ohio.  
>Nickname: Wolverine State<br>State Motto: _Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice_ (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you)  
>Joke "State Motto": First Line of Defense From the Canadians<p> 


	15. Four Corners

****I went back and completely redid the chapter _World Conference_, where I introduced Alaska and Hawaii. Also added their character profiles.

Also, I'm considering making a tumblr specifically for _The 11th State_, where I divulge random bits that I can't fit into stories and post short little things about states/provinces/territories. And you can ask me questions - anonymously or not. **Would anyone be interested if I did something like that?**

**The 11****th**** State**

_Four Corners_

England had to admit that even America and his children had good ideas sometimes.

When his boyfriend had first proposed the idea of a trip to a small lodge in the mountains of Colorado, he had thought it was a horrible idea. He knew how badly America reacted to snow and being forced into the cold and had no desire to sit through a weekend of him complaining about it. He'd protested the trip from the beginning, but had eventually given in after three days of pleading and New York's promise that it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded.

The trip there had done nothing to quell his worries. Kansas had flown them out west in a small airplane and they'd touched down at a tiny airport after needing to circle for an hour while they cleared away snow and chased deer away. England didn't understand why they hadn't already done that, prompting Kansas to explain that the airport they had originally planned to land at had been hit by a snowstorm and it wasn't safe to land there, so he had to find a new place.

They'd then had to wait an hour for their ride to finally arrive, as both America _and _Kansas had neglected to inform him of the airport switch early enough. The state who arrived to pick them up was Colorado himself, bundled in warm clothes from head to toe. He'd laughed at America's hooded fleece and complimented England on his sensible choice of a thick, long coat and matching hat and gloves before stating that the heating in his car was busted and that it was easily a two hour drive up into the mountains.

The drive had been hellish. Between America alternating between complaining and trying to crawl into his jacket under the pretext of sharing body heat, and Colorado's crazy driving as he slid around on the slick, icy roads, England began to wish he'd done the rational thing and gone home to Europe for the winter.

And then they'd turned off on a snow-covered road with barely noticeable tracks, going uphill with little more than an old, weather beaten, wooden guardrail on either side of the road and he thought for sure they were going to die. And while as Nations they couldn't die in a normal sense, it would still hurt and the process itself left them disoriented for several days.

England closed his eyes and refused to open them until he felt the car slow to a stop and heard Colorado announce that they'd arrived. When he looked to see where they would be staying, he was surprised to find that it wasn't the small log cabin he'd envisioned, but a ski lodge which looked as though it'd seen better days. There were also three other cars beside their own parked outside, which meant that the other states who were joining them were already inside.

America hopped out of the car and made a beeline for the luggage, wanting to get inside as quickly as possible. Colorado stood back and laughed at him before taking pity on his dad and lending him a hand. With his usual pair of suitcases, England had no problem lugging his belongings into the lodge.

It was once he got inside that England felt he'd found the silver lining to the trip. Though on the outside it looked as though the building wasn't in the best of condition, the inside showed just how well cared for it was.

The walls, ceilings, and floors were stained hardwood, polished and cleaned so they gleamed with warmth. To the left was a living area, if the comfortable looking furniture arranged in a semi-circle around the hearth was any indication. A fire crackled away merrily, helping to fill the building with pleasant warmth. He saw at least two teens lounging around in the room, talking quietly. To the right was a closed door and directly in front of him was an old check-in desk and a staircase.

"Lets get you signed in!" Colorado cheerfully announced, dropping America's belongings on the front rug. He bounded forward and snatched up a clipboard on the desk as he pulled off his tinted glasses. "Alfred F. Jones and Arthur Kirkland in room 22. It'll be upstairs and to the right. Your usual room." He scribbled something on the paper and then peered curiously at something else written on it. "Huh. I didn't know they were coming…"

England heard something clacking against the floor and turned his head to see what it was. He raised an eyebrow when what appeared to be a small sheep with rather large, curved horns strolled over to Colorado and head butted his leg. It bleated, backed up, and did it once more before the state laughed and bent down to pick up the small animal.

"Oh, c'mon, Pikes. I told you I couldn't bring you with me! You would've been miserable being stuck in the car for that long," Colorado said, amusement lacing his voice. He glanced over to America, who was trying to straighten his luggage. "Go ahead and take your stuff upstairs and check out your room while I go feed this little guy. Elena, Vicente, and Greg are the only other three here right now, but I don't think we'll have to wait long before the others arrive."

"Others?" America asked with a frown. He was about to say something else, but Colorado was too busy crooning at his bighorn and opening the door on the right, which evidently led to the kitchen. He looked as though he wanted to chase down his son and question him, but instead he grabbed his stuff and led England upstairs to their room.

* * *

><p>It was an hour before the two traipsed back downstairs to meet the rest of the States. America had spent a good fifteen minutes babbling on about the history of the lodge before England decided he'd had enough and shut him up in the best way he knew how - with a kiss. Said kiss had spurred on a "brief" make-out session on the bed before one of them came to their senses and remembered that there were mischievous State's around who weren't above barging into people's rooms.<p>

England was sure there were only two of them when they first arrived, but when they walking into the living area there were three teenagers sitting on the couches. They went silent when they realized they were no longer alone in the room.

"Dad!" A thin girl with very short black hair leapt up and ran over to hug America tightly. England couldn't help but notice that she and the two boys she was sharing a couch with all had dark hair and very tan skin, like they spent most of their time outdoors under the blazing hot sun.

"Elena," America greeted, kissing her on the cheek. "How are you?"

"I'd be better if you hadn't chosen this place as our meet-up spot. It's _freezing," _she complained.

"I think next time we should vote," said one of the boys. Hints of rusty brown highlights shone through in his thick, chestnut brown hair. "We _could_ be strolling through Arches National Park right now, but _no._ Demetrio suggested the ski lodge and you jumped on the idea."

"It's only fair," America said with a shrug. "Every other time we vote, we end up lost in the desert and he passes out from heat exhaustion. I figured we'd avoid that this time and just stay warm and toasty in front of a fire instead. Let the snow bunny go out and frolic in the cold," he chuckled. "Alright, introduction time! England, this is Elena, the state of Arizona."

The thin, dark-haired girl grinned and stuck out her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."

England shook her hand, slightly surprised by her strong grip.

"That's Vicente. He's Utah." America pointed to the boy with chestnut brown hair, who waved. "And next to him is Gregorio, who is New Mexico." The other dark-haired boy wore his hair much longer than Utah, who kept his cut nice and neat, and decorated it with several intricate beads in shades of blue and green.

England shook hands with the two boys before he and America sat down on the loveseat across from the three States. Arizona plopped back down between her brothers.

"Colorado's in the kitchen whipping up some food for us and the snow lovers," Arizona informed them. "Something warm, I hope."

"I heard something about soup," piped up New Mexico. "I hope it's chicken noodle. I love chicken noodle."

America frowned even as he stretch one arm across England's shoulders, pulling his boyfriend a little closer. "What do you mean 'snow lovers'? Who else is here? I thought it was just supposed to be us!" He complained.

Arizona shrugged. "Demetrio must've invited them. He knows better than to think any of us will willingly go out into the snow, so he invited a few people who will."

"Who all's here?" America asked, dread lacing his voice.

"Akilina, B.C., and Yukon so far. They showed up before you, dropped off their stuff, and then went outside to check the condition of the slopes and the lake," said Utah. "We think Cain may show up later."

America breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing his hold on England. Those four wouldn't be so bad, even if Alaska had brought her five dogs with her. She had them well trained. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why two of Canada's kids came down for a visit. He didn't think they spent any prolonged time around Colorado. Though Alaska liked to hang out with them a lot, so maybe that had something to do with it.

"So how's Tony doing?" New Mexico asked, changing the subject. "He hasn't visited me in ages. I kind of miss him. Y'know, as much as one can miss an alien who hijacks your TV to play video games and curse at you all day."

America grinned and slid into the conversation. Just like that, animated chatter filled the air. New Mexico gestured wildly with his hands, nearly hitting his siblings several times. Utah waited for a lull in conversation before interjecting with his own thoughts, while Arizona cut in no matter who was speaking.

It was nice, England thought. Nice and peaceful.

The peace continued even when Alaska, Yukon, and British Columbia returned from their journey in the snow. Alaska's five Malamutes calmly walked inside, tongues lolling and tails wagging. They sniffed curiously at England and then one by one laid down on the rug near the fire. The three northerners removed their coats and boots before joining everyone.

"Akilina!" America greeted, standing up to give his daughter a hug. He then stepped back to shake hands with his two nephews. "Good to see you two. It's been a while."

"Yeah. Haven't seen you since July when you set your pants on fire while lighting fireworks," teased British Columbia. "We're not going to have a repeat of that, are we? As funny as it was, I don't really want to drag you out to the lake, break the ice, and toss you in to put out the flames."

Yukon groaned. "Maybe we should just stay away from the lake while we're here. We don't need a repeat of the Lake Incident."

"Lake incident? What lake incident?" America asked.

"I'm surprised papa didn't tell you," British Columbia said as he sat down on the arm of the couch. He ran a hand through his bright red hair, purposely ruffling it up. Utah cast him an annoyed look. "Last year Quebec and Ontario got into his huge fight and ended up rolling through the snow and into the lake. It was great!"

"Until New Brunswick and his drunk chickadee joined in," Yukon muttered.

"And then Nova Scotia got involved…"

Arizona chuckled. "You Canadians are crazy."

Yukon chuckled as he sat down in the recliner. "Well if it's any consolation, we crazy Canadians think you Americans are insane too." His smile slipped as Alaska happily took a seat in his lap.

America raised an eyebrow, unsure of how he felt about that. Alaska was one of his youngest. He couldn't help but feel overprotective of her. He sat back down next to England, wondering what he should do.

"We're just one big crazy, messed-up family," New Mexico said fondly. "You sure you want to be a part of this, England? It's not too late to back out."

England looked around at the teens, watching as British Columbia began poking Utah and Yukon quietly tried to convince Alaska to vacate his lap. He leaned into America and smiled softly. "I rather like it here."

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Arizona<strong> - Elena Jones - copper brown eyes - short, straight, black hair (pixie-cut)  
>Capital: Phoenix<br>Very tan.  
>The only girl of the Four Corners states, she takes on a rather kick-ass attitude and won't take crap from her brothers. She loves giving gifts of cacti to her family. She's a rather simple girl and loves nothing more than sitting on her porch and watching the sunset. She's not a fan of the cold or snow, which is why she doesn't like visiting Colorado's home, especially during winter.<br>She is home to the Grand Canyon and many National Parks. She's known for her extremely hot, dry summers. She's also the home of several Native American tribes. Arizona does not observe daylight savings time.  
>She has enacted a "Stupid Motorists Law" (actual name) which basically says that any driver that gets stranded because of flooding must pay a fine for being rescued. This was done to prevent drivers from trying to go through flooded areas during flash floods.<br>Arizona has one of the largest populations of Native Americans.  
>An area of what was once used as POW camps for German and Italian prisoners during WWII is now used for the Phoenix Zoo.<br>Arizona produces over half of the country's copper.  
>Tombstone, Arizona was the site of the West's most famous shoot-out - at O.K. Corral.<br>Nickname: Grand Canyon State  
>State motto: Ditat Deus (God enriches)<br>Joke "State motto": But It's a Dry Heat  
>State flower: flower of saguaro cactus<p>

**New Mexico** - Gregorio Jones - warm brown eyes - longish dark brown hair, decorated with beads  
>Capital: Santa Fe<br>Very tan.  
>Typically just goes by "Greg".<br>As the home of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Sandia Laboratories, New Mexico is a huge lover of science, with specific interest in energy research and development. It's something he can talk enthusiastically about for hours and hours, complete with hand gestures and sound effects.  
>His love of science extends to sci-fi. He is a firm believer in aliens.<br>Whenever he and Texas get together, you can bet that fireworks will be set off.  
>He's not a calm state, but it's rare that he loses his temper. He's just fun-loving and enthusiastic when it comes to things he likes.<br>Nickname: Land of Enchantment  
>State Motto: Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes)<br>Joke "State Motto": Lizards Make Excellent Pets  
>State bird: Roadrunner<br>Insect: tarantula hawk wasp

**Utah** - Vicente Jones - brown eyes - short brown hair, rusty brown highlights  
>Capital: Salt Lake City<br>A serious guy who takes a no-nonsense approach to just about everything. He feels he always has to be doing something productive and for that reason isn't seen spending free time with his siblings. When he does spend time with them outside of meetings, he doesn't mind relaxing and sitting around to talk to them and catch up on what everyone's been doing.  
>Known for his mountains and the great number of mormons settled in his land. In recent days he's known more for his beautiful mountain scenery, canyons, and national parks. (Such as Arches National Park.)<br>He's one of the Four Corners states (along with Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.)  
>Nickname: Beehive State<br>State Motto: Industry  
>Joke "State Motto": Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus<br>Mineral: copper

**Colorado** - Demetrio Jones - 1 green eye, 1 blue eye - wavy, rusty brown hair  
>Capital: Denver<br>1/2 Lousiana Purchase - Once half was France's territory, the other 1/2 was bought from Mexico.  
>With the Rocky Mountains running through his lands, he loves to go skiing and snowboarding whenever he can find the time. He's a bit of a risk-taker with his driving, but knows how to handle the slick, steep roads and rarely has an accident. While on the one hand he tends to be a risk-taking, adrenaline junkie, he also loves to cook. Whether it's just for himself or for a large crowd of people (usually his family), he has no problem slowing down to spend time in the kitchen whipping up something tasty.<br>As the communications and transportation center of the Rocky Mountain region, he's the go-to guy when arrangements need to be made. He's also the one who goes to most of the regional meetings to give presentations.  
>He's known as one of the four corner states. (the others are New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah). He's another state who enjoys movies and plays, though he admits he'd rather be out in the mountains, enjoying the snow and wildlife.<br>Carries around a tiny bighorn sheep (named "Pikes" after Pikes Peak.)  
>Nickname: Centennial State<br>State Motto: Nil sine Numine (Nothing without Providence)  
>Joke "State Motto": If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother<br>State animal: Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep  
>Origin of name: Spanish ; "ruddy" or "red"<p>

With special guest appearances by:

**Alaska** - Akilina Jones - amethyst eyes - ash blonde hair, with one long strand which curls slightly at the end (represents the Aleutian Islands)

**British Columbia** - Anthony Williams - light violet eyes - red hair

**Yukon** - Irvine Williams - hazel green eyes, glasses - wavy brown hair


	16. Central

****The tumblr for The 11th State is now up and running, for anyone interested! The link is on my profile, at the very top.

**The 11th State**

_Central_

England was enjoying a nice, quiet day at his own home after catching up on paperwork and setting up a few meetings and getting his schedule straightened out in general. He'd already foiled his brothers' attempts to be funny and had asked his fairy friends what sort of traps and curses the three had laid about the house. He avoided some and dismantled others with care, all the while dreaming up ways to get his revenge.

After all of that hard work, all he really wanted to do was sit down and enjoy a nice cup of tea. It just figured that the moment he poured himself a cup, adding the right amount of cream and sugar, the doorbell rang.

He contemplated ignoring whoever it was. He was in no mood to deal with anyone else. But then they pressed the doorbell again. And again. And again.

England huffed and stood up. He grumbled unpleasant things under his breath as he walked to the door. Whoever was ringing his doorbell was in for an earful.

He yanked the door open and glared at the three blond teenagers standing on his doorstep, bundled up in heavy coats. "What do you want?" He demanded crabbily.

"We wanted to visit, of course!" Chirped the girl with a wide grin. "We were going to do it last week, but you left early. So we had to blackmail Keith into flying us over here - no small feat, lemme tell you - and well, here we are!"

England stared at them blankly. He didn't need to ask who they were. Only America's children could make themselves a nuisance using only the doorbell.

"We brought cheese!" The lighter-haired of the two boys held up a large wheel of cheese as he smiled broadly, his grass green eyes sparkling with unadulterated joy.

The other two States groaned. The girl's forehead creased as she gave her brother an irritated look. The other boy ducked his head and covered his mouth, trying to hide his glee.

"Sorry, we're forgetting our manners. I'm Minnesota, also known as Zacharie Jones," said the curly haired boy as he lowered his hand from his mouth. "This is my brother, Wisconsin, and my sister, Indiana. I'm sorry for just showing up like this, but we've been really looking forward to meeting you!"

England stared at the three for a moment with his brow furrowed. A thought tickled the back of his mind, one that had been around from the beginning but never made itself known. "There's something I've been curious about for a while…"

"Invite us in and we'll eat some cheese and answer any question you've got," Wisconsin bribed, wiggling his cheese wheel in what was supposed to be an enticing manner.

Figuring it wouldn't do any harm, England invited the trio into his home, warning them not to touch anything in case it was booby-trapped or cursed. He took their coats and hung them up next to his own. The states settled down at the dining table while England fetched plates, utensils, and extra cups - like a good host should. Wisconsin eagerly took the knife from him when he returned and proceeded to cut into the cheese while his brother and sister looked on in amusement.

England poured tea for the states, questioning them on how they liked it - an extra spoonful of sugar for Minnesota, no cream for Indiana, and a little extra cream and half a spoon of sugar for Wisconsin - and then sat down.

"So, what do you want to know?" Indiana asked as Wisconsin began handing out slices of cheese.

"You've all shown an abnormal interest in meeting me," England said bluntly. "I didn't think much of it at first. Of course, that may be because I was feeling rather overwhelmed by the whole ordeal and not thinking straight, but now I am and I want to know why. Why are you all so interested in me?"

Indiana sipped at her tea. Wisconsin happily munched on his favorite food, letting his siblings do all the talking. Minnesota sighed and set down his cup.

"I hate to say it, but most of us aren't really interested in you. It's more like we're testing you. Dad's only dated a handful of humans before - never another Nation and never anything serious. Plus he's tried hard to keep us hidden from the rest of the world. He's failed at that, but it's sort of hard to keep all fifty-one of us under wraps, so you can't blame him." He paused to push his glasses further up on his nose. "We're all protective of him. Some more than others, but we all care. Honestly, I think the only one of us who really wanted to talk to you before all of this was Virginia, but she's always been a bit odd."

"I'm still amazed that you managed to win over Massachusetts," Wisconsin spoke up. "We were all betting that he'd never be okay with you. He sure can hold a grudge… How'd you do it?"

England shrugged. "I have no idea. I wasn't even aware that he didn't hate me anymore."

"Oh, he still hates you," Wisconsin said. "But he's cool with you dating dad. He's a complex guy, Salem. Ginny and dad might be the only two who understand him." He cut himself off another slice of cheese.

"As I was saying, you're passing the test so far. Some like you, some don't care, and others are hoping you and dad don't last, but there are only a few who feel that way," Minnesota said. "Now it's our turn."

Indiana huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't wait for this to be over. You have no idea how much I dread talking about this during meetings. New York is absolutely _unbearable_ about it. Acting all high and mighty just because she was the first of us to meet you."

England frowned, wondering why it would be a topic at something like a state conference. He imagined they were formatted quite similar to world meetings. He voiced his question and got a few chuckles from the trio.

"There are two sides to our meetings. We take care of business stuff first and then the last hour or so is reserved for more personal things," Minnesota explained. "It's surprisingly efficient at keeping everyone on track. Honestly, I think D.C. hates it, since we usually just end up yelling at each other for the last half hour. She tries to hold a vote to abolish it every now and then, but it only triggers a huge argument."

"He should know better by now," Indiana said with a sigh. "Oh well. I guess some things will never change. So," she paused to take a tiny bite of cheese, which made Wisconsin beam. "You got any more questions?"

England thought for a moment and then asked: "Am I the last one to meet all of you?"

Minnesota chuckled. "Of course not. There are plenty of countries who still have no idea we exist. And of the ones that do know of us, you're the only one dad's made a point to drag around to meet us. Uncle Matt has met all of us, but he's family so he doesn't count."

"So how many more of you do I have to meet?" England asked, surprised by how easy it was to talk to the three.

Indiana quickly did some counting using her fingers. "Umm… six - no, seven. Yeah. I think that's right. Cuz there's Charlie, Sarah, and Maggie and then Aurelie, Celestine, Tamara, and Marcel. There's a couple territories too, but I don't think they've expressed any interest in meeting you yet. Don't feel bad about that though. They don't like hanging out with us either. Except Puerto Rico. If Florida's around, then he's more than happy to join us."

"We can't tell you anything about them, so don't ask," Minnesota warned. "It's part of dad's rules. He wants you to be able to form your own opinion without being too influenced by us or something."

"It makes sense, when you think about it," Indiana said. "Imagine if Virginia told him all about Georgia. Or if Michigan talked to him about Ohio. It'd be a disaster. It was pretty smart of dad to set some ground rules."

Wisconsin cleared his throat. "You left the food in the car," he said, changing the subject entirely.

Indiana raised an eyebrow. "Where'd that thought even come from, Mike? No, never mind. I don't want to know." She sighed and stood up. "C'mon, Minnie. Help me bring in everything."

"You brought food?" England questioned. "You didn't have to do that."

"We figured that since we were showing up unannounced, we should at least fix dinner or something for you," Minnesota said, standing up as well. "We'll be right back."

Wisconsin waited until he heard the front door shut before he dropped the piece of cheese he'd been eating and took a big gulp of tea. "Oh, thank god. Don't get me wrong, I love cheese. I really think it's the greatest food on earth, but I like eating different types of cheese, not just one kind." He made a face and pushed his plate away. "I only do it because it bothers Indiana."

England chuckled. "I know a bit about that."

"Michigan keeps complaining that it's a really childish thing for me to do," Wisconsin muttered. "Like _he's_ any better. Ah, well. That's not really what I wanted to talk to you about." He sat up a little straighter and grinned at England, who looked a little nervous. "Hey, don't look so scared. I just wanna tell you that you're passing the test. Really. The worst is behind you. Well, I'm pretty sure it is. I dunno. DC might run you through the mill if he gets you alone for a minute. But really, Mass and Penny were your biggest obstacles. And if you can win over Massachusetts, you can win over any of us. I'd, uh, suggest you not be alone with them though. Just in case."

"I wasn't planning on it," England said.

"I didn't think you were," Wisconsin responded. He looked in the direction of the front door when he heard it open and shut. He cleared his throat and abruptly changed the subject. "So like I was saying, there's a ton of awesome festivals during the spring and summer and fall. You ought to come to one some day. I try to get some of the other countries to join me, but Uncle Matt and dad are the only two who've actually gone."

"Are you talking about your ethnic festivals _again_?" Indiana asked as she re-entered the room with several grocery bags.

Wisconsin stuck his tongue out at her just as Minnesota walked in with more grocery bags. He rolled his eyes but said nothing, calmly asking England's permission to use his kitchen.

For the rest of the evening, they made sure to stick to neutral topics - ranging from gardening and farming to silly things America did to how surprisingly lovely the weather was in England. By the time the trio left to go meet up with Ohio, who had flown them over for the day, England was feeling a little more confident about meeting the remaining seven of America's children.

* * *

><p>End chapter<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Indiana<strong> - Clarissa Jones - blue eyes - wavy, golden blonde hair  
>Capital: Indianapolis<br>Suffers teasing for being the "Hoosier State", but because of that she has gathered some pretty good blackmail against her siblings so when one of them starts to crack a joke, she can bring up an embarrassing incident for them.  
>Well-known for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.<br>During the Civil War she was the first western state to mobilize for war. She had to turn away thousands of volunteers during the first call.  
>German ancestry is the largest ancestry of Indiana.<br>She and Michigan get along pretty well. The two have bonded over automobiles and their strong industrial centers. She's also a leader in agriculture. Corn is her biggest crop.  
>Nickname: Hoosier State<br>State motto: The Crossroads of America  
>Joke "State Motto": 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free<br>State flower: peony  
>State stone: limestone<p>

**Minnesota** - Zacharie Jones - dark blue eyes, glasses - curly blond hair  
>Capital: Saint Paul<br>A large majority of his residents are of German or Scandinavian (16% Norwegian, 9.5% the other 4) descent. He's a rather serious kind of guy who gets along well with the Dakota twins, Ontario, and Manitoba.  
>Minnesota produces over 75% of the nation's iron ore. He relies heavily on agricultural products. He's also a leader in printing and paper-product industries. Tourism is a major revenue producer.<br>He's the home of the US's largest inland harbor and handles a surprising amount of foreign trade.  
>He's yet another state who loves outdoor activities. He also considers himself an environmentalist. He loves winter sports. He's something of an amature artist.<br>Kind of the "voice of reason" in his region. Is extremely blunt about things, but he says it so calmly and simply that it lessons the blow.  
>Nicknames: North Star State; Gopher State; Land of 10,000 Lakes<br>State motto: _L'Étoile du Nord_ (The North Star)  
>Joke "State Motto": 10,000 Lakes. And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes<br>State tree: red (or Norway) pine  
>State bird: common loon<p>

**Wisconsin** - Michael Jones - grass green eyes - straight, light blond hair  
>Capital: Madison<br>A leader in the production of milk and cheese, which led to him becoming "America's Dairyland".  
>Ranks second among the 47 paper-producing states.<br>He's a pioneer in social legislation.  
>German is the most common ancestry in all but three of his counties. He has the highest percentage of Polish ancestry of any state. (Six largest ancestry groups: German, Irish, Polish, Norwegian, English, and Italian.) He is EXTREMELY multicultural, moreso than most of the states. He holds many ethnic festivals.<br>Home to over 14,000 lakes.  
>He, Indiana, and Minnesota spend a lot of time together because of all that they have in common. Sometimes Michigan joins them.<br>He's another state who enjoys outdoor activities, particularly water sports. He has 95 state parks, forests, and recreation areas.  
>Nickname: Badger State<br>State motto: Forward  
>Joke "State Motto": Come Cut The Cheese<br>State flower: wood violet  
>State animal: badger<p>

* * *

><p>Almost at the end now! Just two more chapters left.<p>

Remaining States: Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Plus the official introduction of Washington D.C.


	17. Heart of America

The 11th State

_Heart of America_

"Is winter over yet?"

Someone - a girl - laughed. "Not yet, dad."

England paused on the stairway, wondering if he should continue on his way to the kitchen. America hadn't said anything about expecting a guest. Though, as England had learned, the States did have a habit of showing up unexpected and unannounced. It wouldn't surprise him at all if that was what was going on.

Figuring it wouldn't do any harm, he continued on his way to the kitchen where he found America talking to a young girl who wore her blonde hair in two braids. Two pairs of blue eyes turned in his direction.

"England, come meet Sarah!" America said eagerly, waving over his boyfriend. "She dropped by to give me something before she goes to meet up with Kentucky."

Sarah gave him a bright smile and slid her hand out of the pocket of her bibbed overalls. "Nice to meet you, England! I'm West Virginia."

England shook her hand and was surprised by her remarkable firm grip. "It's good to meet you."

"Must be my lucky day," she remarked. "I didn't expect to see you here. Actually, I didn't expect dad to be up so early either. I figured I'd just pop in and leave it on the table and be on my way. I think Sonya will forgive me if I'm a little late this time."

"You should text her or something," America suggested.

West Virginia nodded and walked to the other side of the room to give her older sister a quick call. America took that opportunity to walk over and give England a kiss on the cheek.

"You hungry? I was about to start on breakfast. I'm thinking waffles. It's fast and easy. You can't really mess them up," America said, already moving toward the freezer. He opened the door and pulled out a box of Eggo's.

"Hey! Put that back!" West Virginia shouted from across the room. "Sorry, Sonya. Hang on a sec, okay?" She made sure to pull her phone away from her mouth. "You are _not_ eating frozen waffles for breakfast, dad. Give me another minute and I'll make you some homemade ones. With fruit."

America made a face.

West Virginia rolled her eyes. "Or chocolate chips for you."

"You're the best, Sarah," America said with a grin. He put the box back in the freezer as his daughter went back to her phone call. Humming happily, he sat down at the kitchen table and gestured for England to join him. His boyfriend did so, looking a little unsure. "So, looks like Sarah'll be sticking around for a while. Might be a good time to give Charlie and Maggie a call and see if they wanna come over. I'm pretty sure Charlie has time. Not sure about Maggie though. Guess it couldn't hurt to try."

"Which states are they?" England asked.

"Maggie is short for Margaret. She's Maryland. And Charlie is DC," America explained. "I figure since they don't live too far from here, it wouldn't be too hard to get them to come down for the day. You up for some more company?"

England didn't see anything wrong with meeting a few more of America's kids, especially since it didn't seem like West Virginia would be leaving anytime soon. Besides that, he felt it would be nice to meet all of them before spring rolled around. He was sure he'd met just about all of them. Actually, it felt more like there was one hundred of them rather than fifty-one. He didn't know how America was able to keep up with all of them.

West Virginia soon finished her phone call and got to work. First she had to hunt down the waffle iron, which was still in its box collecting dust in one of the closets. Then, while her dad got in touch with DC and Maryland, she let the iron heat up with she mixed the batter, all the while trying to carry on a conversation with England about baking.

She made England's food first, adding in the fresh strawberries she found in America's fridge.

"Where's mine?" America teased, watching his boyfriend cut into his fruit laden waffles.

"I'm making it now," replied West Virginia. "So are DC and Maryland on their way? Do they want anything to eat?"

"DC is on the way down. Shouldn't take more than three hours. And Maryland is over at the Naval Academy for the afternoon, so she won't be here until late," America said. "How long are you staying?"

West Virginia shrugged and began pouring the batter into the waffle iron. "Probably not too much longer. Sonya said to take my time, so long as I get over there before sunset. I might leave once Charlie gets here."

"Whatever you wanna do is fine with me, kiddo," America said, smiling at her. "Can you add extra chocolate chips?"

West Virginia laughed and did so.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

DC arrived promptly at noon and brought along a satchel full of paperwork America just "happened" to leave behind at the office. With sharp aqua eyes, the Capital made sure America knew the paperwork had to get done by the end of the week before turning around and shaking England's hand, remarking about how good it was to finally meet him.

"Charlie!" West Virginia skipped forward to hug her older sibling. "Sorry to skip out on you like this, but I did promise Sonya I'd visit her for a few days."

DC hugged her back. "It's fine, Sarah. Just do me a favor and remind her that our next meeting starts _promptly_ at eight and not whatever time she feels like showing up."

West Virginia laughed, promising to have a talk with her fellow state, and then left after giving both America and England a kiss on the cheek. DC took her place at the table and immediately pulled out a cell phone and began texting someone.

"You're not still talking to Ontario, are you?" America asked, making a face.

"I am. He doesn't believe me when I say my Caps _will_ make it to the playoffs," DC replied. "Like his Senators or Maple Leafs stand a chance."

"Just don't get him too riled up. I don't wanna get a call from Canada saying that you beat up Ontario and made him cry or anything."

DC chuckled. "It's just some lighthearted fun, dad. Relax."

America snorted. "That's the same thing Missouri and Illinois told me during baseball season. Hell, do you know how many times Tex and Penny have said that during football season? Don't think for one second that you can fool me, kiddo."

"You have a good point," DC mused. "How about I promise it won't turn into a States versus Provinces all-out brawl?"

America thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, I'll buy that. So, everything else running smoothly? Any big state conferences coming up? Any unresolved problems that you need me to pop in and help out with?"

"Nothing I can't handle," DC replied confidently. "Though if you could have a talk with Pennsylvania about letting _me_ run the meetings instead of her trying to do it, it would be much appreciated."

England sat silently, listening to the two carry on a pleasant conversation. It was such a big change from earlier with West Virginia, who insisted on pulling him into a conversation every chance she got. DC seemed content to let England speak up on his own. The Capital was alternating between texting Ontario and talking to America, sometimes saying only one word or grunting in response.

It was surprisingly unnerving.

America caught England's eyes and casually changed the topic, pulling him into the conversation with ease. Whether or not the Capital noticed was uncertain.

By the time Maryland finally arrived, DC had walked into the next room in order to properly argue with Ontario without America making remarks in the background. The two Nations remained in the kitchen and began talking about their plans for spring. All talk ground to a halt when a petite brunette stepped into the kitchen, her black shoes buffed to perfection and not a crease in her navy blue uniform. She stood ramrod straight, her blue-green eyes taking in her surroundings. In that moment, everything about her screamed _perfection_.

America stood. "Hey, Maggie! Dunno whether to hug you or shake your hand or salute ya today."

Maryland laughed gently, relaxing her features and making her look more approachable and friendly. "A hug's fine, dad. I've been shaking hands all day and I've had enough of that." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms America, hugging him tightly. "Mess up my hair, though, and we'll have some problems," she warned him, just as he was lifting his hand to ruffle her meticulously styled hair.

America chuckled and released her. "Everything going good at the Academy?"

"Yup. Glad I got it over with. I think it's Ginny's turn next. Not really looking forward to reminding her of that," Maryland admitted.

"You kidding? She'll be excited. She loves shit like that," America said, grasping her shoulders and turning her around to face England. "But right now, there's someone you should meet."

Maryland raised a hand in a quick wave. "Hi! You're England right? You kind of look like Virginia. Or she looks like you. Whichever. Nice to meet you at last! I'm Margaret Jones, the state of Maryland."

England smiled and stood up, reaching out to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Margaret."

"Please, call me 'Maggie'," she said as she shook his hand. "Margaret is such an old-fashioned name."

"It wasn't when I named you," said America. He sat back down, gesturing for her to pull out a chair as well. "Come. Sit. Tell us how things are going at the Academy."

Maryland did so, happily talking about the familiar faces she saw while she was there and the talent of the students. She was halfway through talking about how she nearly started a snowball fight when DC walked back in the room. She raised an eyebrow when she saw how tightly the Capital was gripping the cell phone.

"Have you been fighting with Ontario _again_?" She asked, interrupting her own story. "I thought the two of you settled this argument last week."

"He brought it back up," DC said grumpily. "Carry on with your story."

Maryland eyed DC for a moment longer and then shrugged and delved back into her story. Once she finished her story about the almost snowball fight, America started up one involving Prussia's latest escapades. Apparently the white-haired Nation had taken a liking to Canada and had been showing up unexpectedly and dragging him off to throw snowballs at other Nations as they went about their day-to-day lives.

"Wait, he actually got Uncle Mattie to do that?" Maryland asked. "Huh. But we've never been able to get him join in on any of our Christmas snowball fights."

"I just wanna know why they're suddenly hanging our and acting like they've been best bros for years," America muttered. "It's weird. Really weird."

"Weirder than when you found out he and Russia play hockey together once a month?" DC asked.

"No, because that's _still_ weird," America said. "This I'll eventually get over. Maybe. Just give me a few years."

Maryland stood up to get a drink from the fridge. "I think it's nice. You're so busy with England lately and we've got the election season coming up, so it's good that Uncle Mattie has someone to spend time with. Soda?"

"Sure," America and DC chimed in unison.

Maryland giggled and fetched two more drinks, checking with England to see if he wanted anything before returning to the table. "And anyway, it's none of your business who Uncle Mattie spends his time with. So leave him alone or I'll tell Alaska."

America paled slightly. He accepted a can of soda from Maryland and cracked it open, but didn't take a swig. "So, um, anyone want pizza for dinner? Or hamburgers. I could totally go for some burgers right now."

"Free-for-all take-out?" Maryland suggested.

The three Americans exchanged glances and then went for their phones all at once. England could only watch in awe as DC called for pizza, Maryland got a hold of her favorite local Chinese place, and America dialed up the one burger joint that didn't mind delivering to his house.

"You want anything?" America asked England. "This place has the best burgers!"

England thought for a moment and then nodded. "I'll have the usual. Please don't try to sneak anything odd onto it this time."

America grinned and promised before completing his order. There was silence once the three of them finished up and put their phones away.

"So, which one do you think will get here first?"

.

* * *

><p>End Chapter<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

**West Virginia** - Sarah Jones - blue eyes - blonde hair  
>Capital: Charleston<br>Virginia's little sister, who gets teased about her people marrying their cousins a lot. Rather than banding together with Alabama, who gets teased about the same, they have a "rivalry" or sorts where they take turns placing the blame on each other. ("No, no, that's Alabama." / "What're you tellin' me for? Go complain to Westie about it!") She was one of two states to form during the Civil War and the only one to become a state by seceding from a Confederate state.  
>She's quite smart and feels right at home in the mountains. She's famous for her coal mining.<br>Strong-willed and always ready to stand up for herself, even when what she has to say isn't a popular opinion. She gets really frustrated when people treat her like a backwoods country hick or start calling her a hillbilly.  
>Nickname: Mountain State<br>State Motto: Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers are always free)  
>Joke "State Motto": One million people, and 15 last names.<br>State Flower: rhododendron  
>State Animal: Black bear<p>

**Maryland** - Margaret "Maggie" Jones - blue-green eyes - brown hair  
>Capital: Annapolis<br>A sweet, cheerful state who is well-versed in the field of medicine, as well as conservation efforts. Though she feels that if it weren't for D.C. being right near her she wouldn't be very important, she doesn't let it get her down. She supports D.C. however she can. She's sometimes referred to as "America in miniature" thanks to her vast topography. Since she's a border state, she has the characteristics of both the North and the South, which causes confusion at times.  
>She's fond of horses, and converses with Kentucky about them at times. She's especially proud of the wild horses found on Assateague island.<br>Her animal companion is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who helps her with many things and serves as protection. (She named him Anthem.)  
>She loves the National Anthem, since it was written during the bombardment of Baltimore. She sees it as a symbol of pride and the resilience of her land and people.<br>Home of the US Naval Academy.  
>Nicknames: Free State ; Old Line State<br>State Motto: _Fatti maschii, parole femine_ (Manly deeds, womanly words)  
>Joke "State Motto": If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It <p>

**Washington D.C. - **Charlie Jones - aqua eyes - short, blond hair  
>Typically just referred to as DC, to avoid confusion with the state of Washinton.<br>While America handles foreign interactions, DC manages the inner workings of the country, keeping the States on task and getting them together for meetings.  
>Tends to be rather serious, though DC has a playful side as well. Gets easily fed up with the silly things the States do.<br>DC's gender is known only to VA, MD, and America. The others have long-since given up on trying to figure out whether DC is a boy or girl. DC is simply DC.


	18. The Forgotten Ones

**The 11th State**

_The Forgotten Ones_

England snuggled up against America contentedly, not quite ready to get up and face the day just yet. It was nice and quiet in the house with just a sliver of morning sunlight peeking through the curtains, faintly illuminating the room. America was sound asleep, his soft breathing teasing the hairs atop England's head.

Slowly, England began to drift back to sleep.

And maybe he did fall asleep. He wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was that one minute everything was quiet and warm and the next there was a loud _bang_ and suddenly America was squeezing the breath out of him.

"Al- what-?" He tried to speak.

"How the hell could you forget about us?"

"Yeah, dad! Of all the insensitive things to do!"

"Way low, dad."

There was a brief pause. Followed by: "_Ow_! Um, yeah. What they said."

America slowly relaxed his grip on England and peeked up over the blankets to see four of his West Central states standing at the foot of the bed looking none-too-happy. There were the red-haired Dakota twins, dressed identically and both with their hair tied back, leaving their eyes as the only way to determine which was which. Then there was Nebraska, who had her arms crossed over her chest, brown hair free to frame her face. The last was Wyoming, who stood back away from the girls, rubbing his arm where he'd been pinched by one of them. His dark brown hair was messy, as if he hadn't had time to run a brush through it after left his house that morning. (Which was probably true, given how the girls could be.)

"Hey kids," America greeted, confusion lacing his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"It's been a month. You completely forgot about introducing us," accused one of the Dakota's - North Dakota, America assumed. "Admit it!"

America winced. "Um, well… I didn't… _forget,_ per say…"

Wyoming sighed heavily, deciding to speak up before his sisters started to get out of hand. "Guys, it doesn't matter now. We're here. England's here. We're officially being introduced. Besides, I'll bet dad's been super busy and that's why he hasn't _had time_ to introduce us."

America smiled gratefully at his son. "Yeah, there's been a ton to do lately. And England had to go back home for a while… so I just haven't had the time."

His words seemed to pacify his daughters, who relaxed ever-so-slightly.

"No time like the present, right?" America continued cheerfully. "England, I'd like you meet my last four kids. That's Aurelie, who's North Dakota, and her twin Celestine, who's South Dakota. Also Tamara and Russell, who are Nebraska and Wyoming."

Wyoming raised a hand in hello. "Hey."

The girls grudgingly greeted him.

"How about you all go downstairs and wait for us. If you promise to be nice, I'll take you out somewhere for breakfast or something," America offered. "We'll all go. It'll be fun."

England wasn't so sure that it would be as 'fun' as America thought it would be, but he wasn't about to say anything about it. Besides that, he knew his boyfriend was trying to soothe things over with his kids. At least if they were out in public, they wouldn't raise as big of a fuss about America forgetting about them. (England was pretty sure that was _exactly_ what had happened. The younger nation hadn't mentioned a thing about the four of them since he met DC, West Virginia, and Maryland.)

"Sweet, I'm starving!" Wyoming exclaimed. "C'mon, ladies. Lets give them some space to primp and polish." He wrapped his arms around Tamara and South Dakota, steering them out of the room.

North Dakota reluctantly followed.

As they shut the door behind them, England could hear one of the girls ask: "_Primp and polish?_ Really, Russ?"

"Well usually I save that for Aaron, but it seemed appropriate…"

America waited until he was sure they were downstairs before he turned over and planted a kiss on England's cheek. "Man, I was looking forward to laying in bed all morning… guess my kids have other ideas, huh? Just like always." He sighed heavily and rolled out of bed, languidly stretching his limbs.

England watched him, taking in how his lover's muscles flexed as he moved around and opened drawers to find clean clothes for the day. Though he didn't feel like getting up, he eventually shoved the covers back and joined America in getting ready for the day.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

An hour later they found themselves sliding into a booth at a diner in town. The four states were chatting happily - apparently having decided to forgive America on the drive over. America sat down first, quickly followed by England and then Wyoming. The girls took a seat on the other side of the table with Nebraska sandwiched between the twins.

"Hey, dad, do they have good waffles here? I've been craving some waffles," Wyoming said as he flipped open the menu. "Oooo, blueberries!"

America chuckled. "Get whatever you want, kiddo. So, Aurelie, painted anything interesting lately? Steven's got this new ski lodge - I dunno if he's mentioned it to you or not - and is looking for some stuff to decorate it with."

"Actually, I've been working on this lovely mountain landscape. I don't think I've ever used so many different shades of white and pale blue and gray," North Dakota laughed. "It's fun though. I think I'll do a few more and let Steven have his pick."

"I'd give him a good mixture. Maybe toss in a few of the other seasons," America suggested.

She nodded.

America turned his attention to South Dakota, asking if she'd run in any marathons lately or caught any large fish on one of her camping trips. The redhead immediately launched into a story of her most recent camping trip in which she and Minnesota got lost for two days before finding their way back to civilization. The waitress interrupted her halfway through her story to take their order, but she continued the second she was able.

Nebraska was next, talking about the brand new guinea fowl chicks she'd gotten from a local farm and how adorable the fluffy little things were, running around the yard and following her adult fancy chickens.

She was followed up by Wyoming, who began a series of rousing stories about the tours he'd been leading around Yellowstone and the interesting people he'd met while doing it. By the time he was finished, the waitress walked back out with their food and they dug into it with gusto.

Wyoming continued to try to talk with his mouth full of food. Nebraska quickly put an end to it before he could spray North Dakota with bits of food.

"Who what have you been up to lately?" South Dakota asked her dad between bites of food.

America hesitated for a split second. "Oh, you know, catching up on work around DC, preparing for meetings, deciding where we're all meeting up for the annual family picnic… important stuff. And, um, figuring out when the best time would be for the four of you to come over, of course! Guess I don't have to worry about that anymore!" He laughed.

North Dakota smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about the rude awakening. I got a little carried away."

"I thinking kicking down the door is a more than just a little carried away," Wyoming joked.

"I didn't kick it _down._ I kicked it _open_," corrected North Dakota.

"There's a big difference, Russell," said South Dakota, sticking up for her twin like she always did.

Wyoming leaned over to England and whispered: "Normally she kicks them down. Like, off the hinges, slamming on the floor, chips of wood and paint flying through the air. Or maybe it's just _my _doors."

Nebraska smirked. "It's just you, Russ. You ought to start answering your phone or leaving a spare key in a place that isn't 'somewhere on the roof'."

"I'll have you know that I keep my spare in a perfectly logical place," Wyoming said . "And it's not somewhere on the roof. It's in the gutter to the right of the front door."

"Logical if you're a giant," Nebraska sang.

"We're not giant," North and South Dakota said in unison.

America grinned and reached across the table to pat Nebraska's hand. "You're just short, kiddo."

Nebraska pulled her hand away so she could cross her arms over her chest. "I am _not_ short. I'm perfectly normal sized. If you're going to call someone short then go visit Maine or Virginia or Westie."

"Or Rhodey," Wyoming joked.

"You shouldn't tease Christopher so much about his height," America said, wagging a finger at the four of them. "He can't help being so tiny."

The States laughed and giggled.

England chuckled along with them, barely able to recall the northeastern boy. It was no wonder why he couldn't remember clearly. He'd been a bit more preoccupied trying to stop the fight that had broken out in his favorite tea shop.

"Okay, okay. That's enough," Nebraska said. "How'd we even get on this topic?"

"You started it," chorused the twins.

America redirected the conversation before Wyoming could make it worse and get the girls to start bickering.

Before England knew it, lunch was over and the four teens were saying their goodbyes, promising to call to talk about the annual spring picnic before winter was over. As the girls were still a little miffed about being forgotten, they left without giving America the usual hug. However, Wyoming had no such qualms and happily bumped fists with his dad and shook England's hand before chasing after his sisters.

"That's everyone, right?" England asked as they walked over to America's pickup truck. "You don't have any other children who will pop up all angry because you've accidentally forgotten to invite them over, do you?"

America laughed. "Nah, don't worry. I think the territories lost interest."

England sighed as he tugged open the door. "I don't know how you're able to keep track of all of them so easily."

"There were only thirteen of them at first," America reminded him. He pulled open the drivers side door and pulled himself up into the seat. "It was a lot easier for me. I found just a few of 'em at a time over a bunch of years. You kind of got bombarded by them in less than a year. It takes a while for everyone to remember all of them. Hell, even Canada has a hard time. With mine, not his. But that just makes sense, y'know. I know his kids by their province names or whatever, but not their human ones. Even then sometimes I forget." He smiled at England. "Point is, they're not gonna get upset if you forget their names."

"If you're sure…"

America leaned over the center console and kissed England on the cheek. "C'mon, lets go home."

.

* * *

><p>The End<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Wyoming** - Russell Jones - blue eyes - dark brown hair  
>Capital: Cheyenne<br>He's one of the least populous states, which he thinks gives him lots of free time to have fun. He's devoted to his national parkways and wildlife refuges and is the home of Yellowstone National Park. The mining of oil and natural gas is his most important industry. Every now and then when he, Texas, and Oklahoma are near each other they start bickering about oil.  
>He ranks high among the states in production of wool and owns a few sheep, which wander around his backyard (6 acres of fenced space). Sometimes he'll pay someone to watch his small flock and then disappear to go hiking or camping for a few days without telling any of his siblings (or his boss).<br>Tends to be calm and relaxed, unless something interesting catches his attention. Then he gets a little too enthusiastic. He lets his sisters push him around without much complaint.  
>Nickname: Equality State<br>State Motto: Equal rights  
>Joke "State Motto": Where Men are Men (And The Sheep are Scared)<p>

((AN: I'll admit, Wyoming's joke state motto isn't one of my favorites. But it was the only one I could find.))

**Nebraska** - Tamara Jones - sky blue eyes - straight, light brown hair  
>Capital: Lincoln<br>She's pretty big on farming, and is a leading producer of grain. She also has large cattle and hog industries. Though she lives in a small house way out in the country, she doesn't run her own farm. The most she has is a small vegetable garden and a few chickens. On occassion she'll volunteer her time at a local farm when she knows they're strapped for time and money.  
>She was the state who began Arbor Day. She is very big on civil rights. Her capital is named for Abraham Lincoln.<br>It's difficult to make her angry, but the Dakota twins have a way of getting her all riled up. On a normal day, she's content to sit back and relax, maybe dig around in her garden.  
>Nicknames: Cornhusker State; Beef State<br>State Motto: Equality before the law  
>Joke "State Motto": Land of Two Seasons - Winter and Construction<p>

**North Dakota** - Aurelie Jones - lavender eyes - wavy, light red hair  
>Capital: Bismark<br>Always fighting with SD over who was born first. One of the "forgettable" states. Aside from minor squabbling she gets along well with her twin sister, as well as the rest of her neighbors. She's the most rural state in the U.S. Farmlands cover over 90% of her land. She ranks high in the production of wheats.  
>Heavily influenced by her Norwegian, Icelandic, and German immigrants - mostly cuisine.<br>Her first settlers were Scottish and Irish families.  
>A fiery-spirited girl who doesn't let anyone push her around. She comes off as being a bit eccentric to her siblings who live around her. She's very big into the fine arts and sometimes locks herself in her house for days as she tries to finish a painting.<br>Nicknames: Sioux State; Flickertail State; Peace Garden State; Rough Rider State  
>State Motto: Liberty and union, now and forever: one and inseparable<br>Joke "State Motto": We Really Are One Of The 50 States!

**South Dakota** - Celestine Jones - light blue eyes - short, wavy, light red hair  
>Capital: Pierre<br>Always fighting with ND over who was born first. While agriculture used to be the biggest part of her economy, in recent times private services and the manufacturing of durable goods have overtaken it. Tourism is also a large industry, thanks largely to the Black Hills (home of Mt. Rushmore) and the Badlands (as well as several other tourist attractions).  
>Not as quick-tempered as her twin, but twice as stubborn. She doesn't really understand why her sister likes art so much, preferring outdoors activities like fishing, cycling, and running.<br>Nicknames: Mount Rushmore State; Coyote State  
>State Motto: Under God the people rule<br>Joke "State Motto": Closer Than North Dakota


	19. Bonus Chapter

**Bonus Chapter**

As always, the big bi-annual state meeting was nothing short of chaos. What was supposed to be a calm, rational discussion on recent medicinal advances had taken a sharp turn for the worst when they discovered Alabama and Louisiana had yet to arrive. Rather than begin without them, the majority of the States had decided to strike up various conversations and arguments around the table.

DC sat back and watched it all unfold, annoyed aqua eyes constantly looking out for anyone taking things too far.

Ohio and Michigan waged war from opposite ends of the massive table, bombarding one another with an arsenal of paper airplanes and balls provided by the states sitting near them. (Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska were the main culprits.) Massachusetts and New York could be heard loudly arguing over who had the better hockey team (or teams, in New York's case). A little ways down the table, Connecticut was giving Washington come advice in regards to one of his newest pet projects while Oregon made funny faces behind Washington's back. The Dakota twins and Carolina twins had gathered together to quietly talk about something that no one else had any interest in. New Hampshire had cornered Vermont into sitting next to him with a little help from Maine, who seemed amused by the pair of them.

DC caught Pennsylvania's eye and nodded, signaling for her to get the meeting started. Alabama and Louisiana may be running late, but that didn't mean the rest of them had to as well. The Keystone State stood up and cleared her throat.

The noise continued. A paper airplane sailed past Pennsylvania's face, courtesy of Wyoming, who decided to join in on the fun. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. "Attention, everyone!"

Idaho glanced up, but was then immediately pulled back into his conversation with Wisconsin and Iowa.

Before Pennsylvania could lose her temper, Texas loudly banged his briefcase on the table, causing conversation to slow to a stop as everyone turned to look at him. "If ya'll would pay attention to Penny now, that'd be great," he said calmly.

Pennsylvania smiled at him appreciatively. "Lets get this meeting started! First up for business-"

"But Daniel and Suzanne aren't here yet," spoke up Missouri. "We can't start without 'em."

"Yeah," agreed Kansas. "Lets talk about something else first. Y'know, have a rational group discussion about something that's been going on for a while now. Like something Allison accidentally started?"

New York looked up from the silent thumb war she was waging with Massachusetts. "What are you blaming me for now, Theo?"

"Oh, you know. You _were _the one who barged into dad's bedroom last May and started this whole crazy ordeal. Shouldn't we talk about it? I'm not talking about sharing our feelings or nothing, but we should figure out how we're gonna handle this," Kansas said.

"We'll support dad in whatever he decides," Maryland said firmly.

"Well _duh,_" Kansas drawled. "What I said was, how are _we_ going to handle this. And by that I mean, obviously not everyone is happy by this turn of events. And a few simply don't care either way, so long as dad's happy."

"And then there's Virginia, who couldn't be happier about this than if she'd planned it out herself," Colorado remarked, casting a teasing grin towards his older sister. His words elicited some laughter from the other states and a sheepish smile from Virginia.

Florida sighed dreamily. "I think it's sweet. After all this time, they still care so much about one another."

"And dad's never looked happier," California spoke up, always ready to back up his favorite sister. "And really, that's all that should matter to us. That's why we decided we should all meet England, remember? To see dad around him - to make sure. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't see anything to show that dad's unhappy."

Pennsylvania scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, but said nothing. She couldn't dispute that the two genuinely cared for one another, no matter how much she disliked the idea of them being together. She directed an annoyed look at Massachusetts, who had once been her most dependable ally, but had since relaxed and come to accept what was going on.

The Bay State ignored her, instead leaning over to whisper something to Rhode Island, who raised an eyebrow in response.

DC could only sit back and watch as chaos once again descended upon the room.

Forty minutes later, Louisiana and Alabama had still not arrived. DC was beginning to develop a headache and was debating whether or not to call the meeting off for the day and try again the next day. Considering how wound up everyone was, it would probably be for the best. DC could see Connecticut's hand slowly reaching for his revolver (despite the fact that he'd been asked to leave it at home) and South Carolina and North Carolina had long since headed for different areas of the table after an argument that got out of hand. South Carolina went directly to Georgia, who seemed to be doing her best to soothe things over. North Carolina had retreated to the part of the table where Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and West Virginia had taken up residence, since Virginia was busy trying to calm down Pennsylvania and Massachusetts with help from Delaware and New Jersey.

At least the western half of the states seemed to be behaving, though DC was starting to get a little weary of the way Alaska had spent the entire time talking quietly on the phone. Unfortunately, there were other (louder) things to worry about, so any pondering about what the northernmost state was up to got pushed to the back of the Capital's mind. The rest of the western half - Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma - were busy playing a game of rock-paper-scissors.

DC stood, preparing to call order and announce that they'd pick up things the next day - as well as tack on another day since they hadn't gotten anything done, when the double doors swung open.

Silence fell over the room as everyone turned to see who it was. There stood Alabama with a huge grin on his face, pushing open the doors with both arms outstretched.

"May I introduce, the always-lovely and talented, Miss Suzanne Fleurette Jones!" He exclaimed, pushing the doors open a little wider to reveal Louisiana standing behind him, leaning heavily on an ornate cane. She shakily stepped forward.

For a moment, the sound of her cane striking the floor was all that could be heard in the otherwise deafening silence.

But then Mississippi let loose an ear-splitting whistle and shouted "Lookin' good Suzie!", which jarred his siblings into action. They swarmed around her, making sure to give her some space so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed, chattering excitedly about her recovery.

It was the first time DC could ever remember being happy about postponing a conference for the day.

.

* * *

><p>The End<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

And that's it. Except for any mini-stories I might write in the future. However, since the odds are that neither America nor England will be a major playing in the mini-stories, all of them will be posted over on the **tumblr** I created for this story. You'll also find extra notes about things, some of the doodles/colored doodles I've done of the states, and various other odds and ends. I think it also makes it easier to ask questions.

The link to it is at the top of my profile. (the11thstate . tumblr .com)


End file.
